TNAG-2816-FCO40-4062-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1993 — Page 77

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(d)

Agricultural tenancies in the New Territories are usually regulated by Chinese customary leases. In the past, there were hardly any written agreements and most contracts were verbal. However, in recent years more contracts have been set down in writing. Any disputes relating to tenancy agreements, which seldom arise, can be taken to the District Court for adjudication. The average size of agricultural holdings in the New Territories is about 2 800 m2 and the 'majority of farmers are tenant farmers who usually run their farms on a family basis. Casual labour is not usually employed except where the farm is large or when there is a peak demand for labour during the harvesting period. Wage-earning agricultural labourers are few compared to the population of farmers. They are usually employed in large commercial pig and poultry farms. Their conditions of employment are regulated by the Employment Ordinance and it is considered not necessary to introduce separately specific legislative measures for such employment.

(e)

The number of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies, whose aim is to promote agriculture, participating in the Vegetable Marketing Organisation stood at 26 as at 31 March 1990.

Article 9

(a)

In a re-organisation which took place in April 1988, the Housing Authority was given separate financial identity and autonomy in management which would enable it to implement the Long Term Housing Strategy in the most effective manner. As at 31 March 1990, the Housing Authority owned 619 800 domestic flats and 21 000 commercial properties in 139 rental housing estates.

a

By March 1990, about 2.9 million persons, or 51 per cent of the population, lived in public housing premises. According to the General Household Survey of the first quarter of 1990, 810 600 households lived in stock of 720 100 living quarters in the private sector. In the public housing sector, there were 564 000 households living in 650 800 rental flats and a further 95 500 households in 114 400 home ownership flats. The remaining 41 500 households resided in temporary dwellings of non-permanent structures.

During the period April 1986 to March 1990, the Housing Authority completed 120

120 000 new rental flats and rehoused some 557 000 persons. In addition to providing permanent homes for

permanent homes for these groups, the Housing Authority also runs a programme of temporary housing for homeless people who are in need of housing but not immediately eligible for public housing.

present, a major temporary housing building programme is in progress to increase the stock of temporary housing accommodation from the existing 149 000 to 175 000 person spaces.

Towards achieving the objectives of the Long Term Housing Strategy, the Housing Authority is planning to produce a further 142 000 flats over the next five years for renting to the low-income groups. In view of the shortage of building land in the urban area, most of the new public housing estates are now in the new towns of the New Territories. These new towns are designed to be balanced communities with town centres, educational, recreational and community facilities.