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HKC
1401
152267
MDHIAN 4036
2
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 2013OOZ FCO
TELNO 2345
OF 20100OZ JUNE 88
TOP COPY O DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 1565 HK AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPT.: PQ'S FROM
MR. W. GRIFFITHS
BACKGROUND
THE ISSUE OF THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH CATTLE ARE HELD AT THE CATTLE DEPOT HAS BEEN AIRED RECENTLY IN THE HONG KONG MEDIA. THE
RSPCA'S COMMENTS ON CONDITIONS AT THE DEPOT HAVE BEEN RATHER EXAGG- ERATED. TO ENABLE THE MEDIA TO SEE THE ACTUAL SITUATION FOR THEM- SELVES, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE DEPOT AND SHOWED THEM AROUND. MEDIA REPORTS ON THIS WERE GENERALLY FAVOURABLE AS IS SHOWN IN PRESS CUTTINGS WHICH
HAVE BEEN FAXED TO HKD THE RSPCA'S COMMENTS HAVE NOT GENERATED
ANY PUBLIC SUPPORT. HAVING FAILED TO GENERATE LOCAL SUPPORT IT NOW
APPEARS THAT THE SOCIETY IS TURNING TO OTHER METHODS TO PURSUE ITS
CAMPAIGN.
PROPOSED ANSWERS.
2. WE SUGGEST YOU BASE YOUR ANSWERS ON THE FOLLOWING:
QUESTIONS (A) TO (D)
/
(I) THE AFD CATTLE DEPOT AT MAU TAU KOK CONSISTS OF A NUMBER OF
PREWAR STRUCTURES ORIGINALLY BUILT IN A RURAL SETTING. ITS EXISTENCE HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT OUT OF PLACE SINCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AROUND IT HAS TAKEN PLACE RAPIDLY POST WORLD WAR II. BECAUSE IT
HAS BECOME UNPOLULAR AT ITS PRESENT LOCATION A LONG-TERM PLAN HAS BEEN DRAWN UP TO CLOSE IT DOWN WHEN SUFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE PRIVATE LAIRAGE SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE 1990'S UNDER THE URBAN COUNCIL'S ABATTOIR PRIVATISATION PROGRAMME. AS A SHORT-TERM MEASURE, OVERALL RENOVATION OF THE BUILDINGS WAS STARTED IN MAY 1988 AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
THERE
THE
(II) ALTHOUGH THE DEPOT BUILDINGS ARE OLD, THE CONDITIONS ARE REASONABLE FOR THE PURPOSE : VERY MUCH LIKE A FARMYARD. DEPOT HAS A CAPACITY OF OVER 2,000 CATTLE, WHILE THE DAILY AVERAGE
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