TNAG-0259-FCO40-295-Legislation-for-prevention-of-bribery-in-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 128

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL · 2nd October 1969.

55

tion of 425,000 there is only one Government clinic. This is very far short of the desired target of one clinic for every 100,000 people. Again, for civic activities there is no place for community gathering although it has been recognized that the development of these should be encouraged. What is needed is a reasonably sized hall. For sports and recreation—although there are 19 recreational areas, of which two are for football and seven for basketball-there should, I consider, be a park or garden with shade trees, and also a swimming pool. In addition, and perhaps even more important, there are no commercial or market centres.

In citing the foregoing example, I am sure Government is already aware of the situation, not only in this estate, but also in many others. It is important for the community that Government should accelerate the rectification of these shortfalls. I am glad to learn actions are already being taken to provide some of them.

Undoubtedly, Hong Kong has done a wonderful job, perhaps un- parallelled anywhere else in the world, in providing so much public housing. But owing to the urgent need in the earlier days of having to resettle many people and as quickly as possible, relatively little attention was given to providing these estates with long-term overall amenities. There also seems to have been very little co-ordination between departments: for example, I understand that the police station planned for a newly completed resettlement estate in New Territories will not be available, almost unbelievably, for use until 1973 so I

have been told.

It is appreciated that in the early days of planning these estates, provision of amenities and facilities were considered on a regional basis. But circumstances have now changed. By the size of population in each of these so-called estates (as well as by virtue of their remote topographical situation) most of them are actually towns in their own right rather than estates. With over one-third of our population now housed in publicly provided homes, as you said, it is vital that the estate planning system should be reviewed. I suggest that early con- sideration be given to the introduction of effective machinery to ensure adequate provision of amenities and facilities in these estates. This can be done by strengthening the Housing Board and/or any other existing committee to have as its members, or to co-opt as observers, representatives from interested departments, such as Education, Medical & Health and Police. Their terms of reference should of course be widened to include the specific responsibility of advising or planning the provisions of improved facilities and amenities not only of new estates but also the existing ones.