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Mr. Wong also referred to the possible danger in issuing "white cards" to squatter victims. It has, in fact, been the policy for some time not to issue "white cards" unless an area is being cleared and the squatters in it are to be resettled. Squatter fire victims are not immediately resettled but they are allowed to rebuild their huts on the fire site itself or on any other suitable site available; they are therefore not given "white cards".
Finally, Mr. WONG referred to the apparent lack of planning in resiting fire victims some way from their original homes. I can assure Mr. WONG that this was not due to lack of foresight but to the difficulty of finding suitable Crown Land, particularly on Hong Kong Island, on which these families could be resited. To meet Mr. WONG's requirements we should have to have a large number of centrally disposed sites readily available, each of them suitable in every way for this purpose, and none of them required for permanent development in the immediate future. Such sites simply do not exist. The only alternative would be to allow these families to rebuild their huts in the neighbouring streets and thereby incur the wrath of Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, who rightly pointed out the nuisance and the danger caused by these street huts. The present policy is to avoid as far as possible increasing the number of huts in streets and lanes and to use instead such central resite areas as are available for the accommodation of fire victims. This does mean that in some cases the families resited may be some distance from their previous homes, but under present conditions there is no practicable alternative.
The position with regard to rooftop squatters which was referred to by Mr. F. S. Li, Dr. R. H. S. LEE and Mr. CHAN Shu-woon, has not, I am afraid, materially changed since last year. While this problem has by no means been forgotten or overlooked, the heavy commitments still outstanding in the main task of clearing squatters from land required for development make it impossible to forecast when we shall be able to deal with these rooftop squatters.
There were also a number of comments on the progress made in solving the squatter problem. I should first make it clear that the figures now given of the number of squatters remaining do not necessarily mean that the squatters are increasing faster than we can clear them and that we are progressing backwards. This latest estimate is based on a survey carried out last October, whereas the estimates given in previous years were only guesses—and, as we know now, inaccurate guesses. As members are aware, no new squatter structures are allowed and any that are detected are summarily demolished. We cannot, however, prevent new squatters moving into existing "tolerated" huts and the actual number of squatters therefore will always tend to increase. While the rate of progress in clearance can be measured by the rate of demolition and clearance of "tolerated" squatter structures, of which a running total is now kept, the rate of decrease of persons still to be cleared can only be ascertained by further surveys at regular intervals which will be carried out.
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It is, however, clear from the figures we now have that the rate of clearance should be accelerated, and I should like to stress what is being done in this direction. In the financial year ending 31st March, 1958, a total of 17,900 squatters were resettled. This was increased to 37,000 in the following year and to 49,000 in the year just ended. The Director of Public Works has estimated that over the next five years the rate of construction of resettlement blocks, on which of course depends the rate of clearance, will be increased to provide for an average of 100,000 persons a year. There are, I fully agree, no grounds for complacency and, as the very considerably expanded programme now in hand indicates, no intention of relaxing our efforts in dealing with this problem.
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Mr. Chairman, it is not surprising that this Debate has thrown up a variety of references to the activities of hawkers in our cities.
As my colleagues know only too well, there are many narrow—and not so narrow—streets which are regularly invested by throngs of hawkers, to such an extent that a pedestrian can force his way through only with difficulty, and the driver of a vehicle requires the patience of Job and the technique of a very gentle bulldozer. Obstruction and the risks to health attendant upon sale of food in these conditions must be placed on the debit side in our economic accounts; but it could, I think, be said, until recent months at least, that there was no alternative employment open to most hawkers, who were at least making a living of sorts and were also, by very keen competition, keeping retail prices of many essential commodities down to the bone. Far better this intensely active struggle to earn a living than the passive resignation and misery of refugees in some other parts of the world.
But recently, and for as long as the demand for factory workers continues, the picture has changed. There is now productive work to be had at reasonable wages, although accommodation nearby is often very scarce even for the worker, let alone for his family. If this situation continues until the Council's Hawker Control Force is in being, there may well be a good opportunity to encourage a shift of labour away from hawking towards the factories, firstly by concentrating hawkers into suitable areas where they do not obstruct and can operate more hygienically, (which would be likely to diminish their economic advantage of being able to bring their wares to almost everyone's doorstep, and so to make hawking relatively less attractive); and secondly by whittling down existing able-bodied licencees in certain categories in favour of those who merit licences on welfare grounds, as foreshadowed in the Hawker Report of 1957, which this Council has
Page 36 of 118
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Mr. Wong also referred to the possible danger in issuing "white cards" to squatter victims. It has, in fact, been the policy for some time not to issue "white cards" unless an area is being cleared and the squatters in it are to be resettled. Squatter fire victims are not im- mediately resettled but they are allowed to rebuild their huts on the fire site itself or on any other suitable site available; they are therefore not given "white cards".
Finally, Mr. WONG referred to the apparent lack of planning in resiting fire victims some way from their original homes. I can assure Mr. WONG that this was not due to lack of foresight but to the difficulty of finding suitable Crown Land, particularly on Hong Kong Island, on which these families could be resited. To meet Mr. WONG's require- ments we should have to have a large number of centrally disposed sites readily available, each of them suitable in every way for this purpose, and none of them required for permanent development in the immediate future. Such sites simply do not exist. The only alternative would be to allow these families to rebuild their huts in the neighbouring streets and thereby incur the wrath of Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, who rightly pointed out the nuisance and the danger caused by these street huts. The present policy is to avoid as far as possible increasing the number of huts in streets and lanes and to use instead such central resite areas as are available for the accommodation of fire victims. This does mean that in some cases the families resited may be some distance from their previous homes, but under present conditions there is no practi- cable alternative.
The position with regard to rooftop squatters which was referred to by Mr. F. S. Li, Dr. R. H. S. LEE and Mr. CHAN Shu-woon, has not, I am afraid, materially changed since last year. While this problem has by no means been forgotten or overlooked, the heavy commitments still outstanding in the main task of clearing squatters from land required for development make it impossible to forecast when we shall be able to deal with these rooftop squatters.
There were also a number of comments on the progress made in solving the squatter problem. I should first make it clear that the figures now given of the number of squatters remaining do not neces- sarily mean that the squatters are increasing faster than we can clear them and that we are progressing backwards. This latest estimate is based on a survey carried out last October, whereas the estimates given in previous years were only guesses--and, as we know now, inaccurate guesses. As members are aware, no new squatter structures are allowed and any that are detected are summarily demolished. We cannot, however, prevent new squatters moving into existing "tolerated" huts and the actual number of squatters therefore will always tend to in- crease. While the rate of progress in clearance can be measured by the rate of demolition and clearance of "tolerated" squatter structures,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
57
of which a running total is now kept, the rate of decrease of persons still to be cleared can only be ascertained by further surveys at regular intervals which will be carried out.
It is, however, clear from the figures we now have that the rate of clearance should be accelerated, and I should like to stress what is being done in this direction. In the financial year ending 31st March, 1958, a total of 17,900 squatters were resettled. This was increased to 37,000 in the following year and to 49,000 in the year just ended. The Director of Public Works has estimated that over the next five years the rate of construction of resettlement blocks, on which of course depends the rate of clearance, will be increased to provide for an average of 100,000 persons a year. There are, I fully agree, no grounds for complacency and, as the very considerably expanded programme now in hand indicates, no intention of relaxing our efforts in dealing with this problem.
THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE :-Mr. Chairman, it is not sur- prising that this Debate has thrown up a variety of references to the activities of hawkers in our cities.
As my colleagues know only too well, there are many narrow- and not so narrow--streets which are regularly invested by throngs of hawkers, to such an extent that a pedestrian can force his way through only with difficulty, and the driver of a vehicle requires the patience of Job and the technique of a very gentle bulldozer. Obstruction and the risks to health attendant upon sale of food in these conditions must be placed on the debit side in our economic accounts; but it could, I think, be said, until recent months at least, that there was no alternative em- ployment open to most hawkers, who were at least making a living of sorts and were also, by very keen competition, keeping retail prices of many essential commodities down to the bone. Far better this intensely active struggle to earn a living than the passive resignation and misery of refugees in some other parts of the world.
But recently, and for as long as the demand for factory workers continues, the picture has changed. There is now productive work to be had at reasonable wages, although accommodation nearby is often very scarce even for the worker, let alone for his family. If this situa- tion continues until the Council's Hawker Control Force is in being, there may well be a good opportunity to encourage a shift of labour away from hawking towards the factories, firstly by concentrating hawkers into suitable areas where they do not obstruct and can operate more hygienically, (which would be likely to diminish their economic advantage of being able to bring their wares to almost everyone's doorstep, and so to make hawking relatively less attractive); and secondly by whittling down existing able-bodied licencees in certain categories in favour of those who merit licences on welfare grounds, as foreshadowed in the Hawker Report of 1957, which this Council has
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