XN000022-1979-06-30 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1979

LORD CARRINGTON IMPRESSED BY HONG KONG'S HOUSING EFFORTS

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AFTER A VISIT THIS (SATURDAY) AFTERNOON TO WO CHE ESTATE AT SHA TIN, THE RT. HON. THE LORD CARRINGTON, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE HIGH STANDARD OF PUBLIC HOUSING HONG KONG WAS PROVIDING IN THE FACE OF THE ENORMITY OF ITS HOUSING PROBLEM.

LORD CARRINGTON, ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WAS BRIEFED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR. DONALD LIAO.

HE SPENT SOME TIME VISITING THE FAMILY OF DRIVER LIU YUK-CHOI AND HIS WIFE, WHO MOVED INTO THE ESTATE TWO YEARS AGO FROM A STONE HUT AT SHA TIN,

MR. LIU'S WIFE SAID THEY WERE HAPPIER AND MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE+ AT WO CHE.

LORD CARRINGTON PRAISED THE SYSTEM OF OVERHEAD PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS THAT LINKS THE DOMESTIC BLOCKS AT WO CHE WITH THE ADJOINING ESTATE OF LEK YUEN, ENABLING RESIDENTS TO USE A FULL RANGE OF COMMERCIAL AND WELFARE FACILITIES.

HE REMARKED THAT THESE FACILITIES, AND GARDENS AND SITTING-OUT AREAS AT THE TWO ESTATES, PROVIDED A BALANCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING AT HIGH DENSITIES IN MULTI-STOREY BLOCKS.

LORD CARRINGTON ENDED HIS VISIT BY WARMLY PRAISING THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES FOR WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR ON THE HOUSING PROGRAMME.

LORD CARRINGTON BRIEFED ON SHA TIN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT

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THE RT. HON. THE LORD CARRINGTON, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, THIS (SATURDAY) AFTERNOON WAS BRIEFED ON THE PROGRESS OF THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT.

BRIEFING LORD CARRINGTON FROM A LOOKOUT POINT ABOVE SHA TIN NEW TOWN WAS THE SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. GERRY HIGGINSON.

THE VISITING SECRETARY OF STATE ARRIVED BY RHKAAF HELICOPTER, ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, AND THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAYID AKERS-JONES.

MR. HIGGINSON