XN000022-1977-07-11 — Page 8

MONDAY, JULY 11, 1977

IN HIS SECOND REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE EX-GRÁTIA AMOUNTS WERE OFFERED TO THE OWNERS FOR EACH BUILDING AS A WHOLE AND NOT FOR EACH UNIT.

+AS THEY ARE EX-GRATIA AWARDS FOR THE BUILDINGS AND NOT AMOUNTS OF COMPENSATION BASED ON PROPERTY VALUES, IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN GROUND AND UPPER FLOOR UNITS AS SUGGESTED BY THE OWNERS, HE ADDED.

THE FORMER OWNERS WERE ALSO TOLD THAT EX-GRATIA AMOUNTS ARE AWARDED TO FORMER OWNERS AND FORMER OCCUPIERS OF LEASE-EXPIRED PROPERTIES FOR ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REASONS AND CALCULATED ON A DIFFERENT BASIS.

+IT IS NOT, THEREFORE, ACCEPTED THAT THE AMOUNTS AWARDED TO FORMER OWNERS SHOULD BE REVISED TO EQUAL OR EXCEED THOSE AWARDED TO FORMER OCCUPIERS. FURTHERMORE, FORMER OWNERS HAVE EITHER HAD THE BENEFIT OF A NUMBER OF YEARS OCCUPATION BEYOND THE END OF THEIR LEASE AND THE OFFER OF EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS FOR REMOVAL, OR RENTS DERIVED FROM FORMER TENANTS WHO CONTINUED IN OCCUPATION BEYOND THE END OF THE LEASE,+ THE REPLY POINTED OUT.

AS TO WHY THE OWNERS OF THE BUILDINGS AT NOS. 21-25 BOWRINGTON ROAD HAVE BEEN OFFERED EX-GRATIA AWARDS LESS THAN THE OTHERS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS AWARDED IN RESPECT OF THESE BUILDINGS ALSO TOOK ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT THEY WERE BUILT BEFORE THE WAR.

THE OCCUPIERS OF THE BUILDINGS, WHO, BECAUSE OF THE EXPIRY OF THE LEASES, ARE ALSO INELIGIBLE FOR STATUTORY COMPENSATION, HAVE BEEN OFFERED EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS AT THE RATE OF

ABOUT $20 PER SQUARE FOOT OF LIVING SPACE AND $40 PER SQUARE FOOT OF BUSINESS ACCOMMODATION. THIS IS TO ASSIST THEIR REMOVAL. IN THE CASE OF OWNER/OCCUPIER, BOTH KINDS OF EX-GRATIA PAYMENT WILL BE GIVEN.

IN ADDITION, DOMESTIC OCCUPIERS OF THE BUILDINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN OFFERED ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE.

A TOTAL OF 96 FAMILIES COMPRISING ABOUT 370 PERSONS HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED THE OFFER AND MOVED TO THEIR NEW HOMES IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE FEW PEOPLE WHO STILL REMAINED IN THE BUILDINGS WERE EXPECTED TO VACATE THE PREMISES VERY SHORTLY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW MARKET TO REPLACE THE EXISTING INADEQUATE FACILITIES AT CANAL ROAD AND THE EXTENSION OF THE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER TO LINK UP WITH THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION WERE IMPORTANT PROJECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT BOTH OF WAN CHAI AND OTHER PARTS OF THE ISLAND.

THE OCCUPIERS WERE FIRST NOTIFIED TO MOVE OUT BY MARCH THIS YEAR AND ANY FURTHER DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS WOULD BE AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC AS A WHOLE, THE SPOKESMAN CONCLUDED.

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