TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 92

Question No. 5

Reply by Hon. Y.L. PANG, ISO, JP, Acting Secretary for Housing to a question by Dr. the Hon Conrad Lam,

in Legislative Council on 6 November 1985

QUESTION: With regard to the illegal use of water and

electricity in certain squatter areas, will the Government inform this Council what plans it has to improve the situation?

Sir,

The problem of illegal tapping of water supply in

squatter areas exists mainly where standpipe water supply is

available. The obvious solution to this problem is

therefore the provision of a metered connection. To this

end, Water Supplies Department's current programme to

provide metered supply to 740 squatter areas and NT villages

is scheduled to be completed in about 3 years' time. In

parallel to this, under the Squatter Areas Improvement

Programme, Housing Department is at present carrying out 11

similar projects in squatter areas, with a further 45

projects planned over the next three years. With the

completion of all these projects, the majority of the

squatter areas in the territory will have a metered supply,

and we are confident that the problem of illegal tapping of

water would no longer arise.