XN000022-1987-09-18 — Page 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1987

MINISTER SEES DIFFERENT FACETS OF HK

THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, LORD GLENARTHUR, CONTINUED HIS BUSY PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG TODAY (FRIDAY) WITH A VISIT TO A NEW TOWN, A KNITTING FACTORY AND A CONTAINER TERMINAL.

IN THE MORNING, LORD GLENARTHUR, ACCOMPANIED BY THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, DR JAMES HAYES, ARRIVED AT THE PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL BY HELICOPTER AND WAS MET BY THE SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR VICTOR YUNG, AND SHA TIN PROJECT MANAGER, MR TATY KUO.

THE PARTY WAS DRIVEN TO THE TOWN CENTRE WHERE THEY WALKED THROUGH THE NEW TOWN PLAZA. ALONG THE WAY, HE WAS SHOWN THE TOWN HALL, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND ADJACENT DEVELOPMENTS.

THE MINISTER ALSO HAD A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE DISTRICT FROM THE ROOFTOP OF ONE OF THE BLOCKS IN GARDEN RIVERA AND WAS BRIEFED ON COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER AND ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN BY THE PROJECT MANAGER.

THE PARTY THEN PROCEEDED TO MEI LAM ESTATE, PASSING BY TSANG TAI UK AND CHE KUNG TEMPLE.

LORD GLENARTHUR WAS MET ON ARRIVAL BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING,

PROGRESS MR FREDDIE PANG, AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN SHA TIN.

OF PUBLIC HOUSING

HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE NOW 11 PUBLIC EIGHT HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME COURTS IN SHA 280,000 PEOPLE, ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE NEW TOWN'S POPULATION.

TIN,

HOUSING ESTATES AND

A HOUSING

TOTAL OF

WITH

MEI LAM ESTATE, WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN JANUARY 1985, HAS A

COMMUNITY POPULATION OF 29,000 AND IS A SELF-CONTAINED

HOUSING SCHOOLS, A SHOPPING COMPLEX AND AN INDOOR RECREATION CENTRE.

DURING THE HOUR-LONG TOUR OF THE ESTATE, LORD

VISITED

WAH A HOSTEL FOR THE ELDERLY OPERATED BY THE TUNG HOSPITALS, THE INDOOR RECREATION CENTRE RUN BY THE REGIONAL DEPARTMENT AND A FAMILY AT MEI SHING HOME OWNERSHIP COURT.

GLENARTHUR

GROUP

SERVICES

OF

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THE TOUR, LORD GLENARTHUR SAID HONG AND KONG'S HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME WAS "A MOST IMPRESSIVE UNDERTAKING" THAT IT WAS ONE WHICH EVERYBODY HE HAD

TO SEEMED ABSOLUTELY

DELIGHTED WITH.

SPOKEN

THAT 90 MANY MORE OF THESE AT THE MOMENT OR

"IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ARE EITHER UNDER DEVELOPMENT BEING PERCEIVED," HE SAID.

/BEFORE HIS