Page 49 of 115
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
This vast programme for the construction of a total of 48,000 rooms for 240,000 persons will, of course, cost a very large sum of money.
The time which will be needed to complete this programme will depend therefore not only on the availability of engineering staff but on the availability of funds.
MR. WATSON :- In supporting Mr. Cheong-Leen's motion I would like to offer a tentative suggestion for consideration and I hope I won't be accused by Mr. Bernacchi of using a variation of a theme. If it is, I apologize in advance and plead newness in this Council. The suggestion is that the Resettlement Department extends its plans beyond the point, in eight years' time or less, when all squatters and roof-top dwellers have been housed, to provide housing on the same minimum standard for what is perhaps a greater and more deserving section of the community, the labourers, the workmen and the subordinate office workers, earning $300 a month or less. These people do not qualify for the low-cost flats provided by the Housing Authority, who have apparently decided that the needs of those earning between $300 and $900 are the most urgent. It seems to me that those earning very much less are justified in viewing Government's housing policy with considerable resentment. Enormous sums of public money are being spent, but in order to benefit a man must either be comparatively rich, or is squatting illegally on someone else's land.
I realize, of course, that the resettlement of squatters must come first, in order to reduce the risk of fire, and the danger to health and in order to free large areas of land for other purposes. But let us make it known that when these unfortunate people have been housed, Government will proceed with the same amount of vigour to rehouse those who are perhaps no better off financially, who are living in almost equal squalor and often in even more overcrowded conditions, and who only differ from the squatters by the fact that they are not breaking the law.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :- Mr. Chairman, in proposing the Motion before the House I have not lost sight of the fact that the rights and interests of the long term residents of Hong Kong have prior claim on the limited resources of this Colony. Neither have I forgotten Government's constant reminder to the public that everything nowadays is a question of priorities, and that the Colony's problems should be tackled with due regard to the broader needs of the community. I also maintain that the motion before the house is considered in the interests of the general public. Otherwise Government would not have thought it advisable to support this Motion.
I do not think anyone will dispute that it is to the overall interest of the Colony that the remaining 300,000 squatters who are at present living outside the pale of the law should be resettled at the earliest possible date, so that they may become decent, law-abiding citizens. It has been estimated that at least 70% or over 200,000 of the squatters not yet resettled are refugees and the cost of providing multi-storeyed resettlement accommodation for these refugees will be in the region of HK$140,000,000. This is a very heavy burden for the people of Hong Kong to bear, and I hope that at least this amount will be forthcoming from the United Nations Organization should it decide to live up to its Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and give aid, on humanitarian grounds, to the Chinese refugees in Hong Kong.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
DR. A. M. S. BELL moved :-
That this Council is of the opinion in principle that shops licensed to retail frozen and chilled confections should be regularly visited during the hot season for the purpose of frequent sampling and to ensure that they are free from bacteriological contamination, and that this matter be referred to the appropriate Select Committee for further consideration.
She said: Mr. Chairman, for the past three months during which I have been acting as delegated member to the Disease Prevention (Food and Drink) Select Committee, I have been aware of large numbers of applications for permits to sell frozen and chilled confections such as ice cream and popsicles etc. in original packing. There are also applications to sell ice cream in bulk and increasingly more applications to sell soft ice cream, from
83
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 49 of 115
Page 49 of 115
82
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
This vast programme for the construction of a total of 48,000 rooms for 240,000 persons will, of course, cost a very large sum of money.
The time which will be needed to complete this programme will depend therefore not only on the availability of engineering staff but on the availability of funds.
MR. WATSON :-In supporting Mr. Cheong-Leen's motion I would like to offer a tentative suggestion for consideration and I hope I won't be accused by Mr. Bernacchi of using a variation of a theme. If it is, I apologize in advance and plead newness in this Council. The suggestion is that the Resettlement Depart- ment extends its plans beyond the point, in eight years' time or less, when all squatters and roof-top dwellers have been housed, to provide housing on the same minimum standard for what is perhaps a greater and more deserving section of the community, the labourers, the workmen and the subordinate office workers, earning $300 a month or less. These people do not qualify for the low-cost flats provided by the Housing Authority, who have apparently decided that the needs of those earning between $300 and $900 are the most urgent. It seems to me that those earning very much less are justified in viewing Government's housing policy with considerable resentment. Enormous sums of public money are being spent, but in order to benefit a man must either be comparatively rich, or is squatting illegally on someone else's land.
I realize, of course, that the resettlement of squatters must come first, in order to reduce the risk of fire, and the danger to health and in order to free large areas of land for other purposes. But let us make it known that when these unfortunate people have been housed, Government will proceed with the same amount of vigour to rehouse those who are perhaps no better off financially, who are living in almost equal squalor and often in even more overcrowded conditions, and who only differ from the squatters by the fact that they are not breaking the law.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :-Mr. Chairman, in proposing the Motion before the House I have not lost sight of the fact that the rights and interests of the long term residents of Hong Kong have prior claim on the limited resources of this Colony. Neither have I forgotten Government's constant reminder to the public that every- thing nowadays is a question of priorities, and that the Colony's
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
83
problems should be tacked with due regard to the broader needs of the community. I also maintain that the motion before the house is considered in the interests of the general public. Other- wise Government would not have thought it advisable to support this Motion.
I do not think anyone will dispute that it is to the overall interest of the Colony that the remaining 300,000 squatters who are at present living outside the pale of the law should be resettled at the earliest possible date, so that they may become decent, law-abiding citizens. It has been estimated that at least 70% or over 200,000 of the squatters not yet resettled are refugees and the cost of providing multi-storeyed resettlement accommodation for these refugees will be in the region of HK$140,000,000. This is a very heavy burden for the people of Hong Kong to bear, and I hope that at least this amount will be forthcoming from the United Nations Organization should it decide to live up to its Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and give aid, on humanitarian grounds, to the Chinese refugees in Hong Kong.
The question was put.
The Motion was carried.
DR. A. M. S. BELL moved :-
That this Council is of the opinion in principle that shops licensed to retail frozen and chilled confections should be regularly visited during the hot season for the purpose of frequent sampling and to ensure that they are free from bacteriological contamination, and that this matter be referred to the appropriate Select Committee for further consideration.
She said: Mr. Chairman, for the past three months during which I have been acting as delegated member to the Disease Pre- vention (Food and Drink) Select Committee, I have been aware of large numbers of applications for permits to sell frozen and chilled confections such as ice cream and popsicles etc. in original pack- ing. There are also applications to sell ice cream in bulk and increasingly more applications to sell soft ice cream, from
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