XN000022-1977-10-27 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1977

FURTHERMORE IN VULNERABLE DISTRICTS, IT WOULD BE WISE TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND DRAW UP CONCRETE PLANS TO DEAL WITH ANY CONTINGENCIES, HE SAID.

MR. WONG ASKED ON BEHALF OF TENANTS OF POST-WAR DANGEROUS BUILDINGS FOR SOME FORM OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. IN CASES WHERE AN OCCUPATION PERMIT WAS ISSUED TO A BUILDING NOT FULLY COMPLYING WITH REQUIREMENTS, OR WHERE DEFECTS SHOWED UP BECAUSE GOVERNMENT SERVANTS HAD FAILED TO EXERCISE DUE SUPERVISION OF THE BUILDING WORK. IT WAS ONLY FAIR FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATE THE PEOPLE THUS DISPOSSESSED, HE SAID.

ON THE STREETS (ALTERATION) ORDINANCE AND OTHER ORDINANCES INVOLVING COMPENSATION, MR. WONG CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO INCORPORATE IN THEM SOME OF THE PROVISIONS OF A PROCEDURAL NATURE CONTAINED IN THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY (LAND RESUMPTION AND RELATED PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE OTHER ORDINANCES.

IMPROVEMENT COULD BE MADE BY EXTENDING THE PERIOD ALLOWED FOR MAKING CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION UNDER THE STREETS (ALTERATION) ORDINANCE FROM ONE, OR TWO MONTHS, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE CLOSURE OR ALTERATION, TO A YEAR.

IT WAS PATENTLY OBVIOUS THAT THE TIME NOW ALLOWED WAS UNREASONABLY SHORT AND THERE WERE NO PROVISIONS WHEREBY THE PUBLIC WERE NOTIFIED OFFICIALLY OF THE CESSATION OR COMPLETION OF WORK SO AS TO KNOW THE TIME LIMIT FOR LODGING A CLAIM.

HARDSHIPS ALSO OFTEN AROSE FROM DELAYED PAYMENTS OF COMPENSATION BECAUSE OF RED-TAPE AND OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS. +A SYSTEM FOR ADVANCE PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION SHOULD THEREFORE BE ESTABLISHED ADMINISTRATIVELY, IF NOT STATUTORILY,+ MR. WONG SAID.

BESIDES, IN LINE WITH THE MTR ORDINANCE, THERE SHOULD BE A TIME LIMIT FOR PAYMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT, PREFERABLY THREE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF AGREEMENT OR AWARD. +PROVISION SHOULD ALSO BE MADE TO INCLUDE PAYMENT OF INTEREST ON COMPENSATION,+ HE ADDED.

ON CROWN TENANTS OF PRE-WAR BUILDINGS, MR. WONG DREw ATTENTION TO THE ABSENCE OF THEIR RIGHT TO COMPENSATION. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE COULD BE INJUSTICE IN SOME CASES AS ORDINARY TENANTS MIGHT BECOME CROWN TENANTS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, AS WHEN THE GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER OWNERSHIP BY BUYING THE BUILDING, OR RE-ENTERED THE BUILDING ON A BREACH OF LEASE COVENANTS OR DEFAULT IN PAYMENT OF CROWN RENT.

/+ THEIR RIGHT TO