XN000022-1973-12-17 — Page 5

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Monday, December 17, 1973

SHOP TENANT REPRESENTATIVES ACCEPT NEW DRAFT AGREEMENT

Commenting on the reported objections from some public housing

estate shop tonants to the new draft two-year tenancy agreement announced

last Friday, Mr. John Walden, acting Director of Housing, said today that

the terms of the agreement had been accepted by representatives of tenants

and kaifongs after a series of meetings with senior staff of the Housing

Department.

The objections, he said, appeared to come from a small group of

shop-keepers who broke off from the talks earlier because they did not

want any change whatsoever in tenancy conditions.

When long term agreements were first proposed in August, tenants

raised objections which were discussed at a meeting with the Secretary

for Housing, fr. Ian Lightbody. Subsequently, the Public Housing Estates

Merchant Association - which has representatives from every estate concerned

chose a small committee to represent the association's point of view to

the Housing Department. Similar meetings were held with estate kaifong

representatives.

"Although Friday's meeting clearly indicated that the negotiations

with the association had been successfully concluded, we are not surprised

at the continuing objection from the small minority," Mr. Walden said.

"The Housing Department has done everything possible to meet the

points made by the tenants and the representatives at the meeting expressed

their satisfaction."

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