TNAG-0270-FCO40-306-Policy-on-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 14

HONG KONG TO F.C.0. F.C.O.

TELNO 818

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5. REFERENCES HAVE BEEN MADE TO A CRASH PROGRAMME'' AND I WOULD

LIKE TO MAKE THE POINT THAT THE HONG KONG HOUSING PROGRAMME HAS IN

FACT BEEN A CRASH PROGRAMME EXTENDING OVER A PERIOD OF 18 YEARS,

DURING WHICH THE COLONY HAS DEVOTED A PROPORTION OF ITS RESOURCES

TO HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT AT THE EXPENSE, IN TERMS PARTICULARLY

CF EXPERTISE, LAND AND MANPOWER, OF THE SOLUTION OF OTHER PROBLEMS, WHICH ARE OF EQUAL URGENCY. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, AND THIS IS A

CONTINUOUS PROCESS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR PRIORITIES

RIGHT AS BETWEEN RESETTLEMENT AND OTHER PUBLIC COMMITMENTS, BOTH

ECONOMIC AND SCCIAL. WE HAVE ALSO GOT TO MAINTAN UNDER EXAMINATION

CUR PRIORITIES WITHIN THE HOUSING PROGRAMME. THE LATTER REQUIREMENT

IS PERHAPS NOT FULLY RECOGNIZED. FOR INSTANCE THOSE HOUSED IN THE

EARLIER RESETTLEMENT BLOCKS ARE IN MANY WCASES WORSE OFF THAN

THOSE IN SOME SQUATTER AREAS. AGAIN, A VERY HIGH PROPORTION OF

THE SQUATTERS ARE CONVENIENTLY SITUATED IN RELATION TO THEIR

EMPLOYMENT, AND WOULD, POSSIBLY FORCIBLY, RESIST ANY ATTEMPT TO MOVE

THEM TO NEW DEVELOPMENT AREAS WHICH ARE, BECAUSE OF OUR LAND.

PROBLEMS, NECESSARILY REMOTE.

6. IT IS PERHAPS WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE EXISTING PROGRAMME FOR

THE NEXT SIX YEARS INCLUDES WELL OVER 400,000 MORE RESETTLEMENT

UNITS APART FROM OTHER HOUSING PROJECTS AND THAT THESE ESTATES WILL

BE BETTER PROVIDED WITH COMMUNITY FACILITIES,

COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL, THAN WAS POSSIBLE AT EARLIER STAGES OF THE PROGRAMME, AND WHOSE LACK HAS CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO OUR PRESENT

DIFFICULTIES.

7. I WILL FORWARD COPIES OF THE REPORT OF THE HOUSING BOARD AS SOON

AS IT IS RECEIVED.

SIR H. NORMAN-WALKER

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

H.K.D.

CONFIDENTIAL