XN000022-1977-07-13 — Page 15

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1977

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WITH SUCH A RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROSPECT OF STILL MORE TO COME, MR. SWEETMAN FELT THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT WAS TO OVERHAUL ITS ORGANISATION AND TO DECENTRALISE ITS ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CLIENTS IN NEED WITH A MORE RATIONALISED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE UNDER ONE ROOF.

+THE CHANGE WOULD ALSO BRING ABOUT CLOSER AND MORE EFFICIENT LIAISON WITH THE WORK PERFORMED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ON THE GROUND, IN FURTHERING THE AIM OF SOCIAL WELFARE, AND TO IMPROVE LOCAL LIAISON BETWEEN STAFF WHO HAVE HITHERTO BEEN WORKING SEPARATELY IN VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT,+ HE STRESSED.

FORMER LICENSED AREAS REDEVELOPED WITH MORE FACILITIES

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MOST OF THE OLD LICENSED AREAS HAVE BEEN REDEVELOPED AS TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS WITH PART-BUILT STRUCTURES, CONCRETE PLATFORMS, PROPER ELECTRICITY, DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY, FLUSH TOILETS, PLAYGROUNDS, SITTING AREAS AND IN SOME CASES, WELFARE SERVICES AND SHOPPING FACILITIES, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. ALAN SCOTT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+WE CAN NOW CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT THEY ARE SATISFACTORY, AS TEMPORARY HOUSING, HE SAID, IN REPLY TO DR. THE HON. HENRY HU WHO WANTED TO KNOW THE PROGRESS ON IMPROVING LIVING CONDITIONS AND REHOUSING OF LICENSED AREA RESIDENTS FOLLOWING AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR.

MR. SCOTT RECALLED THAT HIS PREDECESSOR, IN THE DEBATE REFERRED TO, HAD SAID THE REMAINING MARK 1 - THE OLDEST TYPE LICENSED AREAS WOULD DISAPPEAR OVER A PERIOD OF SOME 15 MONTHS.

+EXCEPT FOR A SMALL AREA IN TAIPO, THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED, AND OVER 10,000 RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN REHOUSED IN ESTATES,+ HE SAID.

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THERE ARE NOW ALTOGETHER 17 MODERN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS WITH A CAPACITY FOR OVER 23,000 RESIDENTS, AND 1977/78, IT IS EXPECTED THAT ANOTHER 40,000 PEOPLE WILL BE ACCOMMODATED IN 15 NEW TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS, MR. SCOTT SAID.

+FURTHERMORE, $2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT IN THE PAST YEAR IN IMPROVING THE OLDER TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS TO HIGHER STANDARDS, OF THE 16 AREAS WITHOUT PART-BUILT STRUCTURES STILL IN USE, ALL NOW HAVE A PROPER ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SEVEN HAVE DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY, AND NINE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH FLUSH TOILETS.

+SINCE APRIL 1 THIS YEAR, 180 FAMILIES OF 840 PERSONS FROM THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED PUBLIC HOUSING, HE SAID.