XN000022-1979-06-06 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1979

HE COMMENTED THAT WHILE RENT CONTROL WAS SAID TO BE A TEMPORARY MEASURE FOR ABNORMAL TIMES, THE HOUSING SITUATION HAD BEEN PERMANENTLY ABNORMAL SINCE THE EARLY 1950S,

ANOTHER REASON HE GAVE FOR OPPOSING THE BILL WAS THE FACT THAT IF RENTS CONTINUE TO RISE, RATES, THE CALCULATION FOR WHICH IS BASED ON THE UNFAIR MARKET RENT, WILL ALSO RISE UNLESS THE POUNDAGE IS REDUCED. +THIS WILL AFFECT NOT ONLY THE OVERBURDENED TENANTS IN PRIVATE HOUSING, BUT ALSO TENANTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING,+ HE SAID.

HE CONCEDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE BILL WAS NOT TOO BAD IN PARTS.+ THE PART ON PREWAR HOUSING DID NOT WORRY HIM TOO MUCH BECAUSE ONLY 8,820 UNITS WERE INVOLVED AND +THEY WILL NOT BE FREE TO REACH THE UNFAIR MARKET RENT UNTIL 1984+ BY WHICH TIME THEY COULD HAVE ALL COME DOWN, ANOTHER PART WAS THE EXTENSION OF CONTROL ON POST-WAR DOMESTIC PREMISES, INADEQUATE AS IT IS, HE SAID, BY THREE YEARS.

ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL COUNCILLOR, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, ALSO SPOKE ON THE BILL. HE DREW ATTENTION TO THE RECENT TREND OF RENT INCREASE FOR POST-1973 UNCONTROLLED SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE FLATS BY ANYTHING BETWEEN 25 AND 100 PER CENT, HIGHER THAN ALLOWED UNDER THE RENT CONTROL LEGISLATION.

THE REASON FOR THIS, HE EXPLAINED, WAS THAT MORE NEWCOMERS WERE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, MANY OF WHOM EITHER COULD NOT FIND OR AFFORD DE LUXE FLATS, AND SO OPTED TO PAY MUCH HIGHER RENTS FOR THE IMMEDIATE OCCUPATION OF MEDIUM AND SMALL SIZE FLATS.

UPPER MEDIUM-INCOME FAMILIES EARNING, SAY, BETWEEN $5,000 TO $10,000 A MONTH WERE THEREFORE FACING THE PROSPECT OF HAVING TO PAY BETWEEN 35 TO 50 PER CENT OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT ALONE, HE SAID.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN THEREFORE WELCOMED THE STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON HOUSING PRODUCTION AND RENT LEVELS AND IF NECESSARY PROPOSE FURTHER MEASURES.

HE HOPED THE SECRETARY WOULD BE ABLE TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN THE NEXT SESSION SOMETIME IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER AS TO THE LATEST POSITION.

TIME ALLOWED FOR MAKING LABOUR CLAIMS TO BE EXTENDED

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THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1979 WHICH SEEKS TO EXTEND THE TIME ALLOWED FOR MAKING CLAIMS FROM SIX TO 12 MONTHS WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL WAS BROUGHT INTO BEING BY THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL ORDINANCE IN 1972.

THE OBJECT OF THE LEGISLATION WAS TO PROVIDE A COURT WITH SPECIAL EXPERTISE IN LABOUR MATTERS, WHOSE PROCEDURES WOULD BE QUICK AND INFORMAL AND INEXPENSIVE, TO TRY DISPUTES ABOUT CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT OR APPRENTICESHIP AND RELATED MATTERS.

IN KOVING