XN000022-1978-03-29 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1978

HE SAID IT WAS VITAL THAT THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC FLATS DO NOT BECOME SO INFLATED THAT THEY ARE BEYOND THE REACH OF THOSE MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT YET CATERED FOR BY THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.

HE POINTED OUT THAT AN IMPORTANT FACTOR LEADING TO SPIRALLING COSTS OF BOTH DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL PREMISES HAS BEEN GOVERNMENT'S TENDENCY TO STIMULATE LAND SPECULATION BY DELIBERATELY RATIONING OUT LAND FOR AUCTION, ALTHOUGH MORE LAND IS AVAILABLE,

HE STRESSED THAT LAND PRICES SHOULD BE KEPT AT REASONABLE LEVELS TO KEEP LIVING STANDARDS STABLE AND TO AVOID HONG KONG'S EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY BECOMING UNBALANCED.

FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, HE ADVOCATED THAT MORE EFFORT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ENSURE THAT THE REDEVELOPED OLD BLOCKS (FORMER MARK 1 AND 11 ESTATES) DO NOT RE-ACQUIRE THE RESETTLEMENT' OR SLUM ATMOSPHERE, BY REPAINTING THEM AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO INSTEAD OF FOUR YEARS AND DOING SOME SIMPLE LANDSCAPING TO THE OPEN SPACES IN-BETWEEN THEM.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN COMMENDED THE WORK OF THE HOUSING SOCIETY AND URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE SOCIETY'S CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO PUT MORE STEAM INTO THE SCHEME TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MORE CROWDED URBAN DISTRICTS, WHERE THERE ARE STILL QUITE A NUMBER OF PRE-WAR PREMISES IN A VERY DILAPIDATED CONDITION.

HE SUGGESTED THAT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WHEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S BUILDING PROGRAMME IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IS IN- FULL STRIDE, IT COULD DEPLOY SOME OF ITS RESOURCES IN THIS AREA OF URBAN RENEWAL.

ON EDUCATION, MR. CHEONG-LEEN WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S MOVE TO PROVIDE PLACES IN FORMS TO 111 TO ALL PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS BY 1981 BUT WAS WORRIED THAT THE RAPID BUILD-UP OF EDUCATION. WOULD UNDERMINE THE QUALITY OF TEACHING STANDARDS.

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO EXPEDITE TRAINING FACILITIES FOR TEACHERS TO ELIMINATE SUB-STANDARD JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL TEACHERS IN THE JUNIOR FORMS WOULD EVENTUALLY BE ON COMPARATIVELY EQUAL SCALES OF: PAY_

AT THE SAME TIME HE SAID, WE SHOULD AIM TO PROVIDE BETWEEN NOW AND 1981 TWO YEARS OF SUBSIDISED UNIVERSAL EDUCATION AFTER FORM 111, WHETHER IN A GRAMMAR SCHOOL OR IN A TECHNICAL SCHOOL, IF WE ARE TO PROGRESS TOWARDS MORE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HIGHER LIVING STANDARDS.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THE IMPORTANCE THE GOVERNMENT GIVES TO MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER IN HONG KONG AND SUGGESTED SETTING UP MORE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE UNITS AS AGAINST THE MORE STATIC POLICE REPORTING CENTRES, AND EXPANDING HOUSING FACILITIES AS WELL AS PROMOTION PROSPECTS FOR LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS.

HE ALSO