XN000022-1987-07-01 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987

+

19

"IN THIS REGARD, SOME MEMBERS FELT MORE EDUCATIONAL MEASURES SHOULD BE LAUNCHED TO DISAPPROVE STREET-SLEEPING. I DO CONCUR THAT LEGISLATION AGAINST STREET-SLEEPING MIGHT BE A BIT HARSH.

"BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS GOOD DISTRICT EFFORTS то DETER STREET-SLEEPING, E.G. CONDUCT JOINT CLEARANCE OPERATIONS TO CLEAR THE STREET-SLEEPERS BLACKSPOTS. SUCH EFFORTS ARE COMMENDABLE AND BETTER CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS IS DESIRED."

AS FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN BEDSPACE APARTMENTS, MRS NG SAID THE SITUATION OF A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CRAMMED IN AN APARTMENT GAVE NOT ONLY UNSATISFACTORY LIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS BUT ALSO PROBLEMS LIKE FIRE RISK OR NUISANCE TO OTHER NEIGHBOUR.

BUT THE MAIN CRUX OF THE PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT THESE APARTMENTS ARE PRIVATE BUILDINGS AND PRESENTLY NO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WAS WILLING TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY.

"I SUGGEST DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED TO SIT TOGETHER AND TO FIGURE OUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AND SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM, SHE SAID.

"

ON THE RUN-AWAY OR ABUSED CHILDREN NEEDING SHELTER, THE GROUP ENQUIRED THE ADMINISTRATION AS T WHETHER ANY PROBLEM EXISTED IN PROVIDING SHELTER FOR THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE.

"WE ARE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE PROBLEM OF RUN-AWAY OR ABUSED CHILDREN IS CONSTANTLY MONITORED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT CONSIDERED SERIOUS.

14

SHE NOTED THAT ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 32,000 SQUATTERS LIVING ON DANGEROUS SLOPES.

THE GOVERNMENT HAD PLAN TO RE-HOUSE ALL THESE SQUATTERS BY 1989/90 AND TO CLEAR ALL OTHER URBAN SQUATTERS BY 1994.

"THIS SHOULD BE WELCOMED AND I HOPE THERE SHOULD IN RE-HOUSING THIS VULNERABLE GROUP ANY MORE.

BE NO DELAY

"I AM ALSO GLAD THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED THE EXTENSION OF THE SQUATTER AREA IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME FOR TWO MORE YEARS. SUCH PROGRAMME ARE MUCH WELCOMED BY SQUATTERS IN BRINGING IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR LIVING.

:

ON THE BOAT PEOPLE MRS NG NOTED THERE WERE ABOUT PEOPLE IN TOTAL.

6,500 BOAT

"IT IS NOTED THAT PLANS FOR RE-HOUSING THE BOAT PEOPLE IN SHAUKEIWAN, AP LEI CHAU AND SAI KUNG ARE AT HAND FOR THE EARLY 1990s BY THE LATEST AND THE REMAINING BY MID 1990S. I HOPE THERE WOULD NOT BE DELAYS IN ALL THESE PLANS.

**

120,000 PEOPLE,

REMAIN

A

FINALLY, ON THE THA TENANTS WHICH TOTALLED AT IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THESE "TEMPORARY" ACCOMMODATIONS WOULD FEATURE OF HOUSING IN HONG KONG FOR A RATHER LONG TIME.

/"HENCE, WE