XN000022-1985-05-01 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985

+ THE WORKING GROUP HAS ALSO DELIBERATED ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES, INCLUDING THE TRIBUNAL'S SCOPE OF WORK, COMPOSITION, PROCEDURE FOR HEARING AND APPEAL, ITS INTERACTION WITH THE COURT SYSTEM AND PROVISIONS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE SEIZURE ACTIONS ONCE A RULING IS PASSED, + MR TSAO SAID.

+THE WORK ING GROUP WILL PRESS ON WITH THE REMAINING ISSUES, SUCH AS, ENFORCEMENT OF THE TRIBUNAL'S RULING, CONTROL OF SALES OUTLETS, SERVICING OF A TRIBUNAL WHICH IS LIKELY TO HAVE FLUCTUATING WORKLOADS.+

MR TSAO POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT THE QUESTION REMAINED AS TO HOW FAR CONTROLS SHOULD GO, AS A LINE WOULD NEED TO BE DRAWN BETWEEN INFRINGING ON THE PERSONAL FREEDOM OF AN ADULT WHO READ FOR HIS PRIVATE PLEASURE AND PROTECTING JUVENILES FROM INDISCRIMINATE EXPOSURE TO INDECENT MATERIAL.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT PORNOGRAPHY IS A SOCIAL ISSUE, WHICH, LIKE MANY OTHERS WITH A MORAL IMPORT, CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE SOLVED BY THE IRON HANDS OF THE LAW ALONE,+ HE SAID.

HOUSING AUTHORITY RECORDS 3.6 PER CENT VACANCY RATE

*****

OF THE 15 897 COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES MANAGED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, 577 OR ABOUT 3.6 PER CENT WERE VACANT AT THE END OF MARCH, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY,

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON KEITH LAM, READ OUT BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR FORD SAID THIS FIGURE WAS ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE VACANCY RATE OF COMMERCIAL PREMISES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

HE SAID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD CONSIDER LOWERING RENTS IN ORDER TO REDUCE VACANCIES AND IT WAS BEING DONE ALREADY.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT ONCE A TENANCY AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DID NOT THINK IT WAS REASONABLE TO LOWER Á TENDERED RATE DURING THE PERIOD OF THE TENANCY, BECAUSE TO DO SO WOULD BE UNFAIR TO UNSUCCESSFUL TENDERS.

+WHILE WE DO NOT LIKE TO SEE TENANTS RUN BUSINESS AT A LOSS, WE DO NOT FEEL THAT THE AUTHORITY CAN BE EXPECTED TO ENSURE THAT ALL ITS SHOP TENANTS CAN MAKE A PROFIT.

/+ON THE