June_1970 — Page 3

news review

New rent control bill

A new bill made public last month by the Hong Kong Government - The Rent Increases (Domestic Premises) Control Bill, 1970 will end the present rent 'freeze' when it comes into effect. It is a tem- porary measure, with a life of two years until May 31, 1972.

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It covers most existing private domestic tenan- cies and will give security of tenure during the life of the legislation or until two years after a rent increase has been permitted under its provisions. It will allow for tenants and landlords to negotiate rent increases if they wish, but the landlord must then notify the Rating and Valuation Department. Alternatively the landlord may apply to the de- partment for an increase to be certified as "fair and reasonable."

If an increase of more than 15 per cent is then certified either tenant or landlord can have it re- viewed by the Commissioner of Rating and Valua- tion, or one of his more senior officers in consulta- tion with an advisory panel. Larger flats and houses will be excluded from the machinery of the Bill if their rateable value is listed at HK$ 15,000 or more. All domestic tenements are protected and, so are flats whose monthly rent at the time of the last valuation for rates in 1968 was less than HK$1,500 inclusive of rates.

No control over rent increases in new buildings is proposed. A Government spokesman said: 'All indications are that by the time this legislation is due to expire new building will have provided suf- ficient new accommodation to balance demand'.

Road to new hospitals

Work will start next month on a 2,000 ft. two- lane access road from the main highway to the new HK$52 million Lai Chi Kok general and mental hospitals and the combined staff quarters, in the New Territories.

The road will take a year to complete at a cost of HK$1.8 million. It will include a bridge over a gap in the hillside, and an overpass.

The new hospitals are being built on 27 acres of terraced hillside in Lai Chi Kok. Site formation for the 1,300-bed general hospital has been completed and the sub-structure of the main building is expect ed to be ready in August. Behind it, site formation is almost complete for the mental hospital which will also have 1,300 beds.

General hospital (foreground) mental hospital and access road

Plans also include quarters for the medical, nursing and other staff for both hospitals and a nurses' psychiatric training school.

Electrical symposium in Singapore

Electrical utilities in some 14 S.E. Asian coun- tries have been invited to nominate about 70 en- gineers concerned with the day-to-day generation of electric power to attend a British Electricity Supply Symposium in Singapore in December.

As guests of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers' Association (BEAMA) they will be given return air tickets to Singapore and will stay at the new Ming Court Hotel for five or six days. About 40 engineers from British manufacturers and the British nationalised electricity supply in- dustry will take part in the discussions. The British National Export Council is giving financial support.

Among organisations which have so far been asked to nominate representatives are the Hong Kong Electric Co. Ltd., the China Power and Light Co. Ltd. and the Macao Electric Lighting Co. Ltd.

Building material from cane waste

A new development in the treatment of sugar- cane waste will help provide a cheap building material for developing countries in S.E. Asia.

Announcing this in London last month, British Petroleum Chemicals said: 'It means that for the first time an inexpensive, versatile building material is now available in areas lacking indigenous con- ventional building materials.'

The development springs from the discovery that the addition of small quantities of BP Chemi-

Far East BUILDER, June 1970

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