XN000022-1985-01-31 — Page 9

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1985

COMPARISON OF THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 1984 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1983, SHOWS RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS, WHILE THOSE OF SUPERMARKETS, CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND DEPARTMENT STORES SHOWED LARGE INCREASES IN VALUE BUT SMALLER INCREASES IN VOLUME. WHEN COMPARED WITH OCTOBER 1984, APART FROM DEPARTMENT STORES, RETAIL SALES OF ALL OTHER SELECTED TRADES DECREASED IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEMBER 1984 SURVEY RESULTS WILL SHORTLY BE ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $1 PER COPY.

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (TEL. NO. 3-7216024).

SIR PHILIP VISITS LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE TODAY INSPECTED THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH AND TWO OF THE SIX DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE BRANCH HOUSED IN MURRAY BUILDING.

HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE WORK OF THE OFFICES AT FIRST HAND AND TO MEET THE STAFF INFORMALLY AT THE END OF THE VISIT.

THE TOUR BEGAN AT THE LANDS DEPARTMENT WHERE SIR PHILIP WAS BRIEFED BY THE DIRECTOR, MR JOHN TODD ON THE LATEST STATE OF THE LAND SALES PROGRAMME AND THE PROGRESS BEING MADE TOWARDS URBAN RENEWAL.

AT THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE DIRECTOR, MR CHAMSON CHAU EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THE WORK OF THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE AND THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFF ICE, WITH THE HELP OF MODELS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF MAJOR CULTURAL AND CIVIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, ALSO ON DISPLAY WERE VARIOUS EQUIPMENT USED TO TEST THE QUALITY OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND SAMPLES OF THE MATERIALS.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY WAS LATER BRIEFED BY THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN AND THE GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY ENGINEER, DR Y.L. CHOI, ON DETAILS OF THE LUTO (LAND USE AND TRANSPORT OPTIMISATION) STUDIES, WHICH MAKE PROJECTIONS ON FUTURE LAND USE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG.

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