XN000022-1996-03-13 — Page 58

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Reply:

Mr President,

A review of the space and accommodation provision at the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions undertaken by the UGC Working Group in 1994 showed that space provided at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) fell about 7% or 9,700m2 net short of the assessment of space requirements based on the United Kingdom UGC norms. These norms are adopted by the UGC for the purpose of making a global assessment of the space requirements of the local institutions and are meant, therefore, to provide a guide only.

To help relieve the problem of space shortage at PolyU, the Government has recently given approval in principle for the University to proceed with the planning of its Phase VI Development Project. Under this project, redevelopment will take place within the University's existing campus so that an additional 8,700m2 would be provided to the University in three years' time for general and specialist teaching, research, staff and communal accommodation. Following the approval of initial funding by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on 15 December 1995, planning, site investigation and preliminary design work have already commenced. In addition to the above project, the UGC will shortly be considering two minor capital works proposals from PolyU which would provide the University with additional space of 1,200m2 for academic activities in about two years' time.

It is not possible to allocate the land occupied by the Gun Club Hill Barracks to the PolyU as under the Defence Lands Agreement reached in the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group in June 1994, the Barracks will be one of the 14 sites to be handed to the Chinese garrison for use from I July 1997. It would also not be cost-effective for the University to make use of the site temporarily given that the accommodation in the Barracks is old and somewhat dilapidated and not really suited for use by tertiary level students.

End