XN000022-1993-11-03 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1993

11

NO PRIVACY INTERFERENCE IN PROPERTY OWNERSHIP SURVEY

OF

THE RECENT SURVEY BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON THE EXTENT PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AMONG PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING TENANTS DID NOT CONSTITUTE ANY INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVACY, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU WAI-HING, MR EASON SAID THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY MATCHING THE DEPARTMENT'S RECORDS WITH THE IDENTITY OF PROPERTY OWNERS REGISTERED AT THE LAND REGISTRY.

"AS THE REGISTERS IN THE LAND REGISTRY ARE OPEN ΤΟ PUBLIC INSPECTION, THE QUESTION OF INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVACY DOES NOT ARISE, HE SAID.

MR EASON SAID THE SURVEY WAS A FACT-FINDING EXERCISE AND THE RESULTS WERE ANALYSED IN BROAD TERMS FOR USE AS REFERENCE ONLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING POLICIES.

IN THE COURSE OF THE SURVEY, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAD ENSURED THAT THE COLLECTED DATA WAS HANDLED WITH CARE AND ITS USE RESTRICTED TO THE GENERAL ANALYSIS OF OWNERSHIP OF DOMESTIC PROPERTIES BY PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS.

THE SURVEY FINDINGS WERE PUBLISHED IN THE AGGREGATE, AND NO INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL RECORDS OR TENANTS' IDENTITIES WERE RELEASED.

UNDER ESTABLISHED PRACTICE, THE RAW DATA OF THE SURVEY WAS DESTROYED AFTER PROCESSING.

—

NO REPORT OF CONTAINER COLLAPSE IN RECENT YEARS

* *

THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY REPORT OF CONTAINER COLLAPSE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN RECENT YEARS OR ANY REQUEST FOR REHOUSING FROM ANYONE PERCEIVING THEMSELVES AS BEING AT RISK UNDER THE CONTAINER STACKS.

AND

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT LANDS, MR TONY EASON, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE

MR EASON SAID NEVERTHELESS THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF LIMITED RISK POSED BY STACKS OF CONTAINERS AND A NUMBER OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT,

THE MEASURES INCLUDED THE PUBLICATION OF A BOOKLET ENTITLED "SAFE PRACTICES FOR CONTAINER HANDLING", AMENDMENTS TO THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING ORDINANCE IN JULY 1992 TO EXTEND ITS COVERAGE TO CONTAINER STORAGE DEPOTS AND YARDS, AND THE INCORPORATION OF CONTAINER HANDLING SAFETY PROVISIONS IN THE NEW FACTORIES INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (CARGO AND CONTAINER HANDLING) REGULATIONS.

/MR EASON