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2.
"the Kuk does not object to the formation of organisations in the densely-populated areas to plan and develop the welfare and facilities especially designed to suit the local needs". It looks therefore as though the forma- tion of these advisory boards in each of the New Territories' districts will not be opposed by the Kuk. The details are set out in Ex. Co. Memorandum XCC(77) 66.
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4.
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In my letter of 17th June, I also
said that I was considering the appointment of a commission to advise whether the provisions of the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance, as applied to the New Territories land-owners, are fair and reasonable. After further thought and having taken the advice of Executive Council, I propose to appoint a 6-member committee under the chairmanship of Sir Y.K. Kan, to look at the land resumption and compensation question in the New Territories. I do not, however, propose to give the details of this in my address on 5th October, but will merely say that Government agrees the time is ripe for current procedures to be reviewed and that the Secretary for the New Territories will be speaking on this later on in the debate. This will allow some opportunity for discussion with the Kuk before formal appointment of the committee takes place. The details and the argument for handling the issue in this way are in XCC(77)68.
5.
A further development is that in the meanwhile, the appointment of Charles YEUNG Siu-cho as a member of Legislative Council, a solicitor who comes from the New Territories and who is an executive member of the Heung Yee Kuk, has been well received.
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6.
I am pleased about Ex. Co.'s agreement to the appointment of District Boards. It has been clear for some time that an undesirable vacuum was developing, but I have not been able to get agreement on what should fill it. Now this is obtained. I also think that the proposed Advisory Committee is probably the best method of approaching the vexed problem of land resumption in the New Territories and of agreeing a substitute for 'Letter: B'. You may wish to talk about this during your visit in
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