XN000022-1976-02-11 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1976

EARLIER, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, DR. THE HON. CHUNG SZE-YUEN, URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO BRING ALL THE OLDER TYPE LICENSED AREAS, PARTICULARLY THE MARK I TYPE, UP TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS THOSE MORE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED.

IN MAKING THE CALL, DR. CHUNG SAID HE VISITED THE HONG NING ROAD LICENSED AREA, KWUN TONG THE DAY BEFORE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR FOLLOWING A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LIVING CONDITIONS AND THE LACK OF ANY FIRM NEWS REGARDING THEIR DATE OF REHOUSING.

HE SAID THE RESIDENTS HAD BEEN THERE SINCE MAY 1972.

AS THE NORMAL PERIOD FOR THE RESIDENTS OF A LICENSED AREA TO BE REHOUSED WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS, IT SEEMED UNSATISFACTORY THAT THEY STILL DID NOT KNOW WITH ANY CERTAINTY WHAT THE FUTURE HELD IN STORE FOR THEM, HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA, DR. CHUNG SAID THAT APART FROM THE DILAPIDATED CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURES THERE AND THE LACK OF AUTHORISED ELECTRICITY AND RETICULATED WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS, IT ALSO CAME TO HIS ATTENTION DURING HIS VISIT THAT THE PROVISION OF LATRINE AND WASHING FACILITIES WAS MINIMAL.

DR. CHUNG SAID HE HAD BEEN TO SOME OF THE OTHER MARK I LICENSED AREAS SUCH AS MA TSAI HANG, EX-RIFLE RANGE AND KOWLOON BAY EAST BUT ADDED THAT THE CONDITIONS OF THOSE AREAS WERE AS BAD AS THOSE IN THE HONG NING ROAD AREA.

+ IT SEEMS DEPLORABLE IN THIS DAY AND AGE THAT CAMPS MANAGED BY GOVERNMENT TO ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE SO PRIMITIVE, THEY ARE AN AFFRONT TO HUMAN DIGNITY AND THEY FALL FAR SHORT OF EVEN THE MINIMUM STANDARDS WHICH COULD PROPERLY BE EXPECTED,+ HE SAID.

JOINING HER SENIOR UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUE IN HIS APPEAL, THE HON. MISS KO SIU-WAH SAID THAT DURING A RECENT VISIT TO THE HONG NING ROAD LICENSED AREA SHE FOUND THERE WERE ONLY 16 LATRINES AND THE SAME NUMBER OF BATHROOMS FOR 320 FAMILIES, COMPRISING 1,433 PEOPLE.

SHE SAID THIS PROVED TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND INCONVENIENT TO THE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY DURING THE RUSH HOURS.+

ON FIRE RISKS, MISS KO SAID THERE WERE ONLY THREE FIRE HYDRANTS IN THE ENTIRE AREA.

SHE HOPED THAT FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES WOULD SOON BE IMPROVED AS THERE WAS AN AVERAGE OF 30 SMALL FIRES EACH MONTH, MAINLY BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL ELECTRICAL WIRING AND HIGH LOAD OF VOLTAGE.

MISS KO ALSO MENTIONED +A SERIOUS LACK OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND FACILITIES+ IN LICENSED AREAS.

SHE URGED VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO RENDER MORE SERVICES TO THESE AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE OLD TYPE AREAS, ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS.

MISS KO EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE THE AGENCIES MORE SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE.