Resettlement_Department_Annual_Report_1971-1972 — Page 33

70. In the older Mark I and II estates where the problem of illegal structures is generally much more acute, and available open spaces more severely limited, it has not been possible to adopt the above measures. This being the case pedlar hawkers have been permitted to continue to trade as such, and action has been confined to resiting those hawkers and tradesmen who had established their businesses in illegal structures. Resited hawkers received the same treatment as those in the middle-aged estates. In the older estates a total of 1,042 illegal structures were demolished during the year, and a total of 504 hawkers resited.

71. The disparity between the number of structures demolished and the number of hawkers resited is due to many of the illegal structures having been used for storage of goods, as workshops, and even as domestic accommodation. The above statistics are in respect of planned major operations, some of which involved a total of 400 men and officers of all ranks, and do not include demolitions effected during routine daily operations.

72. In conjunction with the above temporary measures the construc- tion of modular markets on a pilot scheme basis was commenced in 4 new and middle-aged estates and by the end of the year most of these had been completed. Additional markets are being planned for other estates. It is hoped that the provision of such marketing facilities will prove to be an effective measure for the control of hawkering in resettlement estates.

73. During the year the number of Tidiness Teams was increased to a total of 17, and 11 posts of Resettlement Assistants to act as team leaders were also created.

WELFARE SERVICES

74. Premises are made available in estates to organizations recom- mended by the Education Department for running schools on a non- profit making basis at a nominal rent of $1 a month. An additional sum is charged if premises are used by schools for non-school religious purposes. At the end of the year there were 282 primary schools in resettlement estates with an enrolment of 207,374. (See Appendix 10). Fees for rooftop schools in Mark I and II blocks are limited to a maximum of $120 per annum for bi-sessional schools and $150 per annum for those operating on a whole-day basis. In newer estates, separate annex 24-classroom schools are built at a ratio of 1 classroom

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