XN000022-1976-05-26 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1976

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CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE EARLIEST DATE BY WHICH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET COULD BE COMPLETED WOULD BE 1981.

HE SAID THE REASON WAS THAT RECLAMATION OF THE SITE, WHICH IT WAS HOPED COULD START NEXT YEAR, WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO YEARS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING WOULD ALSO TAKE ABOUT TWO YEARS.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. ALEX WU. MR. ROBSON SAID: THE POULTRY AND VEGETABLE MARKETS ARE ACCOMMODATED TEMPORARILY AT CHEUNG SHA WAN AND THE FRESH WATER FISH MARKET WILL SHORTLY BE MOVED TO A TEMPORARY SITE IN SHAM SHUI PO MILITARY CAMP.+

THESE MARKETS, HE ADDED, COULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE FROM THESE SITES UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A DECISION WAS TAKEN TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR ROAD.

+THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE MOVED INTO THE NEW CHEUNG SHA WAN MARKET BEFORE ROAD CONSTRUCTION COULD COMMENCE AS THE TEMPORARY MARKET SITES WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THAT WORK,+ MR. ROBSON SAID.

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VRC TO REMAIN AS PRISON INSTITUTION

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THE VICTORIA RECEPTION CENTRE IS LIKELY TO BE RETAINED AS +A PRISON INSTITUTION OF SOME TYPE FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME TO COME+ AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW LAI CHI KOK RECEPTION CENTRE, EXPECTED TO BE IN AUGUST NEXT YEAR.

IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON. JOHN BREMRIDGE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE FUTURE USE OF THE VRC WAS BEING CONSIDERED AND NO FINAL DECISION HAD YET BEEN TAKEN.

HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE HIGH OCCUPATION RATES OF MANY OF THE INSTITUTIONS ADMINISTERED BY THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, HE SAID IT SEEMED MOST LIKELY THAT THE VRC WOULD REMAIN A PRISON INSTITUTION FOR SOME TIME.

MR. DAVIES ALSO CONFIRMED THAT DUE TO OVERCROWDING IN THE VRC SOME PRISONERS ON REMAND HAD, IN RECENT MONTHS, BEEN SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR ON A BASIS OF THREE, AND OCCASIONALLY FOUR MEN IN A CELL OF ABOUT EIGHT FEET BY FIVE FEET.

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