XN000022-1980-02-07 — Page 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1980

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OTHER WINNERS PRESENTED TO PRINCESS ALEXANDRA WERE MR TOMMY MOK, OF SS DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, WHICH WON THE EMBLEM COMPETITION, AND MR ARIES LEE, SCULPTOR AND LECTURER AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WHO WON THE GROUND FLOOR MURAL DESIGN COMPETITION. ALSO PRESENTED WAS 55-YEAR-OLD MR YAU TUNG-HOI, WHOSE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK ON TSUEN WAN IN THE MID-1960S IS DISPLAYED ON THE SECOND FLOOR.

MR YAU WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN TSUEN WAN AND NOW LIVES IN HOI PA VILLAGE, TSUEN WAN.

AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS, PRINCESS ALEXANDRA ATTENDED A RECEPTION HOSTED BY MR AKERS-JONES AND MR WILSON FOR 500 GUESTS INCLUDING SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. SHE LEFT THE TOWN HALL AT 4 PM.

AMENDMENT TO RENT CONTROL BILL

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A PROPOSED AMENDMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1980 IS PUBLISHED TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE EFFECT OF THIS WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE EXISTING REQUIREMENT FOR A LANDLORD OF CONTROLLED PREMISES, IF HE WISHES TO SEEK A REPOSSESSION ORDER FROM THE COURT, FOR HIS OWN USE OR FOR THE USE OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY, TO SHOW THAT GREATER HARDSHIP WOULD BE CAUSED TO THE LANDLORD THAN TO THE TENANT IF THE COURT DECLINES TO GRANT THE ORDER.

IF THE AMENDMENT IS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IT WOULD BE FOR A TENANT TO DISPUTE THE LANDLORD'S CLAIM, WHERE THE LANDLORD HAS MADE OUT A REASONABLE CASE FOR REQUIRING THE PREMISES, BY SHOWING THAT A COURT ORDER WOULD NOT BE JUST AND EQUITABLE IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE NEW PROVISION WOULD APPLY AS BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS ONLY. THE EXISTING PROVISIONS, INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT TO SHOW GREATER HARDSHIP, WILL APPLY AS BETWEEN PRINCIPAL TENANTS AND SUB-TENANTS,

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE AMENDMENT WILL BE PROPOSED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING ON FEBRUARY 13, 1980 AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE DEBATE ON THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) BILL 1980. IF APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE BILL WILL TAKE EFFECT RETROSPECTIVELY FROM DECEMBER 18, 1979, THE DATE ON WHICH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION TO EXTEND RENT CONTROLS.

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