594881-1939-Minutes--No-14 — Page 3

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 17, 1939.

QUESTION.

5. The Hon. Mr. Lo MAN-KAM, pursuant to notice, asked the following question :-

Having regard to the following facts-

(1) That the Prevention of Eviction (No. 2) Amendment Ordinance, 1939, was passed "without opposition only on receiving an assur- ance from the Government that all representations as to amendment of this special restrictive and temporary legislation would be referred to a qualified committee of two official and five unofficial members of the Legislative Council for consideration and report",

(2) That the report of the committee referred to above was laid on the table at the meeting of this Council held on the 1st September, 1939,

(3) That the bill of an Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Preven- tion of Eviction Ordinances, 1938 and 1939, as drafted by the said Committee, was read a first time in this Council on the 1st September, 1939, and

(4) That the Honourable the Attorney General, in moving the said first reading, stated in effect the second reading of the said bill would be taken at the then next meeting of this Council-

will Government explain the reason for delay in implementing the report of the said Committee and state what it intends to do as regards the said bill?

The Colonial Secretary replied as follows:-

Subsequently to the first reading of the Bill the Government came to the conclusion that some of its provisions, especially those which withdrew the protection of the 1938 Ordinance from certain classes of mortgaged premises, were contrary to the interests of the persons whom that Ordinance was chiefly designed to protect. Whilst recognizing that the Ordinance pressed hardly on mortgagees the Government considered that it was not in the general interest to amend the Ordinance to their particular advantage. The decision which the Government came to does not involve the total abandonment of the Bill, which contained other provisions of a useful and helpful nature; but careful considera- tion of the effect of these provisions has had to be postponed while other legislative problems arising from the outbreak of war were being dealt with.

REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

6. The Colonial Secretary laid on the table the Report of the Finance Committee

(No. 8), dated 26th October, 1939, and moved its adoption.

The Financial Secretary seconded.

Question-put and agreed to.

MOTIONS.

7. The Colonial Secretary addressed the Council and moved the following

resolution:

That the Estimates of Expenditure for the year 1940-41 as now presented

be approved.