XN000022-1982-01-06 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1982

1

17

GOVERNOR SEES LAM TIN FIRE SITE

***

THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE RECENT DISASTROUS FIRES WHICH HAD MADE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS.

SIR MURRAY WHO VIEWED YESTERDAY'S FIRE SCENE AT LAM TIN FROM THE ROOF TOP OF A HOUSING ESTATE BUILDING SAID HE WAS HORR IF IED BY IT.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, IT REINFORCED HIS DETERMINATION THAT THE PROBLEM OF SQUATTERS MUST BE SOLVED BY BUILDING.

SIR MURRAY SAID: +YOU CANNOT SOLVE IT EXCEPT FROM THE MOST TEMPORARY BASIS BY IMPROVING CONDITIONS IN SQUATTER AREAS.

+ IT MUST BE SOLVED BY A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING PROGRAMME, WHICH THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE GOT HERE.

+AS LONG AS THIS KEEPS GOING THERE WON'T BE ANY SQUATTER AREAS UNLESS THERE IS ANOTHER INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM CHINA.+

WHEN ASKED BY A REPORTER WHETHER GOVERNMENT WAS GOING TO RENT MORE FACTORY BUILDINGS TO HOUSE FIRE VICTIMS, SIR MURRAY SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF SPACE NOW WITH THE NEW BUILDING IN TUEN MUN WHICH HE SAID COULD TAKE UP TO EIGHT OR TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE PLUS NEW SITES FOR BUILDING IN TAI PO AND CONCEIVABLY IN YUEN LONG.

THESE, HE ADDED, COULD ONLY BE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS BUT HE SAID IT WAS QUITE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

EARLIER, SIR MURRAY WAS MET ON ARRIVAL AT THE LAM TIN HOUSING ESTATE BY MR GRAHAM BARNES, REGIONAL SECRETARY (CITY)= MR PANG SING TONG, DISTRICT OFFICER KWUN TONG- MR A.P. ASPREY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING (OPERATIONS)- MR M. J. SMITH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSING (SQUATTER CONTROL) AND THE DISTRICT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER, MR LOK MAN PAN, BEFORE GOING TO THE ROOF-TOP OF BLOCK 22 TO VIEW THE FIRE SCENE.

AFTERWARDS SIR MURRAY CONTINUED ON A TOUR OF OTHER PARTS OF KOWLOON TO SEE FOR HIMSELF THE PROGRESS OF THE CURRENT CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN BEFORE RETURNING TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

/18