XN000022-1991-01-09 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1991

"HOWEVER, AT PRESENT, THE COST QUOTED FOR A RECYCLED PRODUCT OF THIS GRADE IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE PRICE AT WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER IS ABLE ΤΟ PURCHASE COMPARABLE NON-RECYCLED PAPER, HE SAID.

T

BY

"AT PRESENT, ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF THE MATERIAL PURCHASED THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER IS MATERIAL WITH A RECYCLED CONTENT, SUCH AS ENVELOPES, PACKAGING AND FILE COVERS," HE ADDED.

GOVT TACKLING BEDSPACE APARTMENT PROBLEM DILIGENTLY

THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT LOST SIGHT OF THE PROBLEM OF BEDSPACE APARTMENTS AND IS IN FACT TACKLING IT DILIGENTLY, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON PETER TSAO, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY

(WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHAN YING-LUN, MR TSAO SAID THE ADMINISTRATION WAS CONSIDERING THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO REGULATE FIRE AND STRUCTURAL SAFETY IN BEDSPACE APARTMENTS.

FOR

"THE SCHEME BEING CONTEMPLATED WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE ONE GUESTHOUSES. THE PRIMARY CONCERN WILL AGAIN BE THE FIRE AND STRUCTURAL SAFETY. BEDSPACE APARTMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A LICENCE FOR THEIR OPERATION," HE SAID.

MR TSAO ADDED THAT IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT SOME BEDSPACE APARTMENTS WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE THEIR OCCUPANCY LEVEL BEFORE THEY COULD ATTAIN THE NECESSARY STANDARDS AND SOME LODGERS WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO BE DISPLACED FROM SUCH CONGESTED APARTMENTS.

HE NOTED THAT MANY OF THE LODGERS WERE RELUCTANT TO MOVE ΤΟ DECENT HOUSING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR VARIOUS REASONS BUT PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE NEAR THEIR PLACE OF WORK.

MORE

"THE ADMINISTRATION THEREFORE CONSIDERS IT NECESSARY TO ADOPT A CAUTIOUS APPROACH AND TO COLLECT, FIRST OF ALL, RELEVANT AND ADEQUATE INFORMATION ON THE BEDSPACE APARTMENTS AND ON THEIR LODGERS WITH A VIEW TO ASSESSING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM AND FORMULATING APPROPRIATE SOLUTIONS TO TACKLE IT.

BEING SAID.

"TO THIS END, A TERRITORY-WIDE SURVEY ON BEDSPACE APARTMENTS IS UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, HE

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MR TSAO SAID OWING TO STAFF CONSTRAINTS, THE SURVEY HAD HAD TO BE DIVIDED INTO TWO STAGES.

STAGE ONE WAS UNDERTAKEN IN MAY 1990 TO FIND OUT BASICALLY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDSPACE APARTMENTS, BEDSPACES AND LODGERS.

/SURVEY RESULTS