TNAG-0317-FCO40-353-Policy-of-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-problem-of-s-1971 — Page 173

The problem of preventing people from reoccupying land

not required for development when its occupants are moved

into permanent housing is indeed a difficult one. The

optimum solution is, of course, to provide sufficient

permanent accommodation for all, thereby making it

unnecessary for people to squat but I appreciate that it

will be some time before this position can be reached.

I notice that in your figures you do not specifically

mention the boat people who I understand total some 100,000

persons. I assume that you have included these people in

the urban squatter population of 500,000 and I should be

interested to know whether my assumption is correct.

You mention that many squatters are more concerned with

increased amenities in these areas than with the quality

of their houses. This may well provide an opportunity

of improving to an acceptable level the standard of accommo-

dation in areas where the squatters live in reasonable

buildings and thereby obviate the necessity of including

such squatters in the re-housing programme.

Another major problem besetting the early solution of the

re-housing of such a large proportion of the population

is the load which would be placed on the already over-

taxed building industry to which you referred in your

letter of 17 September 1970 to the Secretary of State.

You state that the building industry generally is stretched

to the limit over existing plans and I assume that this

has been taken into consideration by the Housing Board in

making their recommendations for new housing for the

next six year period.

A further point is, the effect of the massive Government

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