XN000022-1981-10-29 — Page 19

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1981

18

BETTER DEAL FOR NT RESIDENTS URGED

******

THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG DREW ATTENTION TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGES WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATION TO THE LONG-ESTABLISHED RESIDENTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

IN HIS MAIDEN SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, MR CHEUNG SAID SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SINCE 1950 HAD BEEN DRAMATIC, IF NOT CATASTROPHIC - +DRAMATIC IN THEIR EFFECT ON PEOPLE'S ENTIRE LIVES AND CATASTROPHIC IN THE IR EFFECT ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE PEOPLE AT THE RECEIVING END+.

HE SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATION GIVEN IN THE PLANNING OF NEW HOUSING ESTATES, SUCH AS THE PROVISION OF FULLER SOCIAL SERVICES, HIGHER SAFETY STANDARDS, AND CHEAPER RENTALS AND PURCHASE PRICES FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

+WHY HAS THE SAME NOT BEEN DONE FOR THE LONG-ESTABLISHED RESIDENTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES?+ MR CHEUNG ASKED.

+THESE PEOPLE ASKED SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGHER QUALITY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, BETTER SAFETY STANDARDS FOR OVERHEAD POWER PYLONS ON THE IR PRIVATE LAND, AND PREMIA-FREE LICENCES TO BUILD THE IR OWN HOMES ON THE IR OWN LAND, AND A PROPER SYSTEM OF WATER SUPPLY WHICH UP TILL NOW IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT. +

MR CHEUNG ALSO ASKED THAT EQUAL IMPORTANCE BE GIVEN TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC REDISTRIBUTION FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES PEOPLE.

HE SAID: +IN THE WORDS OF YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE SOCIAL, MEDICAL AND SECURITY SERVICES THAT ALL COMMUNITIES NEED BUT ALSO THE DEMOGRAPHIC REDISTRIBUTION WITHOUT WHICH NO RISE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS POSSIBLE.

+THIS I BELIEVE TO BE THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, BEARING IN MIND THAT OUR RESOURCES WERE BARELY ADEQUATE TO SERVE THE EXISTING POPULATION EVEN BEFORE ANY FURTHER URBAN INFLUX, ESTIMATED TO BE RUNNING AT ABOUT 180 000 PEOPLE PER YEAR.+

/19