TNAG-0317-FCO40-353-Policy-of-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-problem-of-s-1971 — Page 33

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. SALES: -Well, for whichever years the Commissioner is able to provide us with the information since the Working Party's report in 1964.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: Shall I try and answer that, Mr. Chairman? I don't know whether I can or not. The first thing I must make clear is that you cannot have annual target when you are building estates for some 100,000-150,000 people. When 1964 party produced its paper, it was quite clearly stated that you have a six-year programme and you try to get your six-year target. You may succeed and you may not. The Director of Public Works at that time, Mr. WRIGHT, said he felt there was little chance of achieving the target because of the difficulties of sites and many other problems. However, the targets are reviewed annually by the Housing Board and if you just take the target for six years and divide by six that gives you a rough order of the annual construction programme and it seems to me

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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I have your permission to interrupt on a point of clarification. The explanation given by the Director of Public Works was accepted by this Council that the building programme must be spanned over a number of years, but that what the Council wanted to see was that the average would be substantial, of the order of between 100 and 150 thousand people per year. That was the Council's recommendation at that time if I am not mistaken.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, am I answering this question on what the programme was or what the Council wanted?

MR. SALES: -I thought that what the Urban Council wanted was what the programme should be. (Laughter).

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-The target laid down by the Housing Board was accepted by the Urban Council. If you take that target and divide by six then the construction was not far short of the programme. In other words, the annual production target in 1966-67 was 620,000 units over six years, say 110,000 a year, we produced 125,000 that year. In 1967-68 the programme was 550,000, for six years, say 90,000 a year, we produced 121,500. For 1968-69, the programme was 425,000 for six years, say 70,000 a year, we produced 113,000. For 1969-70 the programme was 300,000, say 50,000 a year, we only produced 10,000. The reason for this, as we know, was the failure of three major contractors. 1970-71 the programme was 350,000, over six years, say 60,000 a year, we produced 84,900. The figures quoted by the Commissioner for Resettlement differ from mine as he is referring to units he has in hand, whereas the figures I give are units I have completed ready for handing over.