District Administration, New Territories took over the responsibility for all squatter control in the New Territories.
103. Patrols are carried out by Area Officers, each of whom is responsible for a specific area which he patrols regularly, taking a different route each time. He pays particular attention to open spaces in a crowded squatter arca, which are a constant temptation to would-be squatters, and to places where there has been squatter activity in the past or where new structures have been demolished. He is trained to notice at once any new building even though it may be disguised and built of old materials, as is usually the case. If he is in any doubt he will verify whether the hut is included in the survey record or whether its dimensions and use correspond to those recorded. This record not only assists in the discovery of new structures and extensions, but it has also brought home to would-be squatters that they can no longer claim that a new hut is an old one, if it is not recorded in the survey.
104.
When a new structure is detected before it is occupied it is demolished on the spot. If it is already occupied the owner is warned to demolish it voluntarily; if he does not heed this warning and cannot be persuaded to take action himself, the hut is demolished by the department's staff and the materials are confiscated.
105. In spite of the efforts of this division constant attempts are still being made to erect new squatter structures. During the year the squatter patrols were responsible for the demolition of 9,667 new struc- tures or extensions to existing structures, 1,898 of which were rooftop structures. Materials confiscated amounted to approximately 219,000 pounds of loose wood and 46,000 pounds of tin sheets. These materials were used to assist squatter victims of fires and other disasters or squatters who were resited by Government.
106. In addition to the prevention of new squatting, the officers of this division have a number of other duties, of which the most important is to give assistance to the victims of fires in squatter areas. These were particularly numerous during the exceptionally dry autumn and winter. There were two major fires, at Lo Fu Ngam in October 1959 and at Li Cheng Uk in February 1960, cach of which made more than 2,500 squatters homeless and there were also scrious fires in squatter areas at Tai Kok Tsui and Tung Tau. Altogether there were 32 fires during the year in which a total of 12,788 squatters were made homeless.
107. It is not normally possible to offer immediate resettlement to the victims of these fires. The department works to a programme of
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