G.S. 84
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XCR (79)4
2.
Kowloon is more than likely. It is essential that a simple remedy be provided by amendment to the Crown Land Ordinance.
Occupation of Unleased Land
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Squatting on unleased land has been a commonplace feature of post-war Hong Kong, and Members are already well acquainted with the measures adopted by the Housing Department and the New Territories Administration to control the size of the problem. However, the speed with which a temporary structure can be erected and occupied, to the frustration of the authorities, has encouraged racketeers to engage in construction of squatter huts for profit. Under section 6 of the Crown Land Ordinance, where unleased land is illegally occupied and a structure is or is being erected on it, the Authority is obliged to post a notice on the land or structure requiring that occupation cease before a specified date, failing which the occupier is guilty of an offence. However, where Squatter Control staff come across a group of persons actually erecting a structure, or find a structure which has been erected but which is under only token occupation pending sale to a prospective family, it is clearly desirable that rapid action should be taken to prevent the completion, sale and occupation of that structure. Failure to do this results in profit for the racketeers who construct the hut, monetary loss to the occupying family, and an additional immediate rehousing problem for Government. It is emphatically not the intention to demolish occupied huts and render the occupiers homeless. In fact, where such huts are found it is the policy to provide the occupants (some 360 familiessince 1976) with Transit Centre accommodation pending investigation for public housing. What is intended is to contain the size of the problem by demolishing structures before occupation begins. Amendments to the Crown Land Ordinance have therefore been proposed which are aimed at discouraging racketeers from engaging in this particular "business".
False Statements and Powers of Entry
6
Development is proceeding apace throughout Hong Kong, and almost invariably must be preceded by land clearance. On the ground, the preliminary work for such clearance involves the survey- ing of structures and land in order to establish the occupants' eligibility for either temporary or permanent public housing, and to assess the allowances payable in respect of industrial, commercial or agricultural undertakings. As now worded the Ordinance does not provide specific powers of entry to land and structures for these purposes, and this lack of powers has hindered the progress of clearance work. In the same context, the temptation is very great for clearees to provide false information during survey interviews in an attempt to gain early entry to public housing. In the interests of fairness, much time is spent verifying information given so as to
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