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in hand on 18 Estates having a population potential of 525,000 people." Is it anticipated that this programme will be completed over the next five years?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Yes, Sir.

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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Then I take it that, as mentioned in the penultimate paragraph of the reply, wherein it is stated that "work is in hand. . . . at 12 sites

there is actual planning for the additional number of people, who would be covered by the last para- graph of the reply?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I am sorry, Mr. Chairman, I do not understand the question.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I am simply trying to make it as clear as possible, Mr. Chairman. What is meant firstly by work in hand at 12 sites with a population potential of 385,000 and secondly, work in hand on 18 Estates with a population potential of 525,000?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -The explanation, Sir, in regard to the first paragraph is that work is in hand on actual construction or site formation. In the second paragraph it means that work is in hand on planning.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you very much.

MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:

In view of the very overcrowded and congested living condi- tions in Hong Kong—a matter that concerns this Council from the public health point of view-will the Chairman request Government to provide more detailed informa- tion in regard to the Honourable Financial Secretary's statement in Legislative Council on 17th January, 1962 on the subject of rent increases:

(a) Apart from the resettlement programme, Government aims to produce housing for 70,000 persons per annum as a continuing programme; how is this total figure arrived at, and how is it apportioned among the Housing Authority, the Housing Society and other groups?

(b) Does Government propose that this Annual figure of 70,000 will considerably reduce the severely over- crowded conditions in our slum areas, which are in many instances even more overcrowded than in resettlement estates?

estates.

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THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

In reply to the first part of the question, the Financial Secretary, speaking in the Legislative Council in January this year, referred to the positive steps Government was taking, in conjunction with other interested bodies, to increase the supply of housing. He said that, apart from Government's aim to accommodate 100,000 persons a year in resettlement estates, it was proposed to house 20,000 persons a year in Government's low cost housing He also said that the Housing Authority, the Housing Society and the Settlers Housing Corporation would spend some $56 million in loan funds between them in 1962 to provide accommodation for about 40,000 persons, and further that it was estimated that about $25 million of loan funds would be spent this year on Civil Servants' Co-operative Housing Schemes. He concluded his remarks to the effect that about 70,000 persons would be housed this year and that the programme was a con- tinuing one. I am informed that the figure of 40,000 persons to be housed by the Housing Authority, the Housing Society and the Settlers Housing Corporation can be divided up approximately into 2/3rds of that num- ber to be housed by the Authority and 1/3rd by the Society; site formation work on the Settlers Housing Corporation site is in hand at present but no persons will be accommodated in their estate until next year. I understand that the figure of 70,000 persons refers to adults at a standard 35 sq. ft. per person of living space and that counting a child as equivalent to half an adult and assuming that a family is comprised of 2 adults and 14 children, the accommodation will cater for, not 70,000 but about 90,000 persons.

2.

I should point out that, whilst the Financial Secretary said that the housing programme was a continuing one, he did not say that it was Government's aim to produce housing for a specific number of 70,000 adults a year. no more no less. The question of the rate of housing construction to be aimed at by the Housing Authority is under discussion at present.

In reply to the second part of the question, I think we would all agree that a programme of re-housing 90,000 persons annually would not, by itself, bring about a significant improvement in Hong Kong's seriously overcrowded living conditions, but combined with resettlement accom- modation for 100,000 a year, and construction of new