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transferred from Cottage Areas, and I must apologise for repeating what I have just said. In addition 580 persons, who were offered Resettlement on clearance, did not accept it. The reason for this shortfall was a delay in the completion of blocks brought about largely by certain shortages of skilled labour, which were manifest in the second half of the financial year subsequent to Typhoon Wanda.
I naturally support Mr. CHAN Shu-woon and Mrs. ELLIOTT in their plea for an increase in the pace and I can assure them that I have the fullest backing from my friend the Director of Public Works, who finds many of his development projects hampered by the squatter problem. This increase in the pace to over 100,000 per annum should be achieved by building higher. Members are already aware of the decision to use lifts and build up to 16 storeys and this decision is already being implemented.
At the same time statistics can be misleading and the bare information that there may still be 600,000 squatters in the Urban Area does not present the problem in its true perspective. The Resettlement Department is charged with the task of clearing land for development but there are many dense squatter areas which could not be developed except with the greatest of difficulty on account of the terrain. An obvious example is the hillside above Causeway Bay which is excessively steep. The huts there are unsightly and unhygienic but it would be difficult to use the land for any worthwhile purpose without massive site formation. There are also other squatter areas where demolition and replacement of existing structures—many of them in reinforced concrete—would add little net increase of accommodation and would at the same time prejudice other more worthwhile schemes.
The quality of resettlement accommodation has frequently been discussed and I am sure that all Members will welcome the new type of Mark III accommodation with central corridor and individual balconies. It is also probable that toilet facilities will be of a more private nature and that public latrines will cease to exist on the upper floors. It is important to note that the gap between Low Cost Housing built by the Public Works Department and managed by the Housing Authority, and Resettlement, has been progressively narrowed and that henceforth there will be virtually no difference between them in basic design. Whatever the disadvantages of Resettlement and I do not question the general austerity, it must surely be recognized firstly that every room faces the open air and secondly that the occupants pay an absolutely minimal rent. The situation is thus very much more favourable than in the average tenement structure where circulation of air is generally prejudiced by enclosure of verandahs and the erection of partitions, and certainly the problem is not to persuade people to take up the accommodation but, on the other hand, to keep out the imposters.
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The financing of Resettlement is effected out of the Colony's revenues and schemes have never, so far as I am aware, been held up on account of shortage of funds. So far as resettlement is concerned there would therefore appear to be no need to seek funds from overseas and I take it that Mr. LI Yiu-bor, Mr. WATSON and Mr. CHAN Shu-woon were thinking more in terms of the Housing Authority.
Rooftop squatters are in a particular category as they are on private land and control has only been exercised since the general survey of November 1956. The department appreciates the sanitary problems that arise but, in the face of demands from other categories, no special priority can be accorded to their resettlement. Nevertheless, in cases where the presence of such huts is inhibiting demolition and redevelopment, such squatters are offered sites elsewhere on which to erect alternative accommodation. A great deal has already been achieved in this way by resiting.
I appreciate Mrs. ELLIOTT'S sympathy for those who have had difficulties in finding homes for themselves and have chosen to move on to Crown land where they have erected illegal structures. These people have my sympathies as well. However, one of my responsibilities is to prevent any attempts to erect illegal structures on Crown land and it is essential to continue this policy, in conjunction with the policy to resettle those who are now squatting in unsatisfactory conditions, if we are to move towards a gradual elimination of our squatter problem.
Mr. FUNG Hon-chu was particularly concerned about bay restaurants, a subject which impinges both on Resettlement and also the Food and Food Premises Select Committee and which will be discussed at greater length by the Vice-Chairman in view of his specialist medical knowledge. In this connexion I would mention that it was decided at a joint meeting of the Select Committees on 8th February, 1963, that the policy should be to do away with them entirely within 3 years and in the meantime hygienic improvements should be effected in the kitchens.
With these few words of explanation in reply to the comments of Members, I have much pleasure in declaring my support for the motion before this Council.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Mr. Chairman, in rising to support the motion, may I thank Mr. BERNACCHI, Mr. MARDEN, Mr. Wilfred WONG and Mr. CHEONG-LEEN generally for their constructive comments on hawker matters and particularly for their generous remarks on the improved relations between hawkers and the department's staff. All concerned, and especially the Hawker Control Force, have worked
Page 46 of 194
Page 46 of 194
76
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
transferred from Cottage Areas, and I must apologise for repeating what I have just said. In addition 580 persons, who were offered Resettlement on clearance, did not accept it. The reason for this shortfall was a delay in the completion of blocks brought about largely by certain shortages of skilled labour, which were manifest in the second half of the financial year subsequent to Typhoon Wanda.
I naturally support Mr. CHAN Shu-woon and Mrs. ELLIOTT in their plea for an increase in the pace and I can assure them that I have the fullest backing from my friend the Director of Public Works, who finds many of his development projects hampered by the squatter problem. This increase in the pace to over 100,000 per annum should be achieved by building higher. Members are already aware of the decision to use lifts and build up to 16 storeys and this decision is already being implemented.
At the same time statistics can be misleading and the bare in- formation that there may still be 600,000 squatters in the Urban Area does not present the problem in its true perspective. The Resettlement Department is charged with the task of clearing land for development but there are many dense squatter areas which could not be developed except with the greatest of difficulty on account of the terrain. An obvious example is the hillside above Causeway Bay which is excessively steep. The huts there are unsightly and unhygienic but it would be difficult to use the land for any worthwhile purpose without massive site formation. There are also other squatter areas where demolition and replacement of existing structures-many of them in reinforced concrete -would add little net increase of accommodation and would at the same time prejudice other more worthwhile schemes.
The quality of resettlement accommodation has frequently been discussed and I am sure that all Members will welcome the new type of Mark III accommodation with central corridor and individual balconies. It is also probable that toilet facilities will be of a more private nature and that public latrines will cease to exist on the upper floors. It is important to note that the gap between Low Cost Housing built by the Public Works Department and managed by the Housing Authority, and Resettlement, has been progressively narrowed and that henceforth there will be virtually no difference between them in basic design. Whatever the disadvantages of Resettlement and I do not question the general austerity, it must surely be recognized firstly that every room faces the open air and secondly that the occupants pay an absolutely minimal rent. The situation is thus very much more favourable than in the average tenement structure where circulation of air is generally prejudiced by enclosure of verandahs and the erection of partitions, and certainly the problem is not to persuade people to take up the accom- modation but, on the other hand, to keep out the imposters.
!
!
:
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
77
The financing of Resettlement is effected out of the Colony's revenues and schemes have never, so far as I am aware, been held up on account of shortage of funds. So far as resettlement is concerned there would therefore appear to be no need to seek funds from overseas and I take it that Mr. LI Yiu-bor, Mr. WATSON and Mr. CHAN Shu-woon were thinking more in terms of the Housing Authority.
Rooftop squatters are in a particular category as they are on private land and control has only been exercised since the general survey of November 1956. The department appreciates the sanitary problems that arise but, in the face of demands from other categories, no special priority can be accorded to their resettlement. Nevertheless, in cases where the presence of such huts is inhibiting demolition and redevelop- ment, such squatters are offered sites elsewhere on which to erect alternative accommodation. A great deal has already been achieved in this way by resiting.
I appreciate Mrs. ELLIOTT'S sympathy for those who have had difficulties in finding homes for themselves and have chosen to move on to Crown land where they have erected illegal structures. These people have my sympathies as well. However, one of my responsibilities is to prevent any attempts to erect illegal structures on Crown land and it is essential to continue this policy, in conjunction with the policy to resettle those who are now squatting in unsatisfactory conditions, if we are to move towards a gradual elimination of our squatter problem.
Mr. FUNG Hon-chu was particularly concerned about one bay restaurants, a subject which impinges both on Resettlement and also the Food and Food Premises Select Committee and which will be discussed at greater length by the Vice-Chairman in view of his specialist medical knowledge. In this connexion I would mention that it was decided at a joint meeting of the Select Committees on 8th February, 1963, that the policy should be to do away with them entirely within 3 years and in the meantime hygienic improvements should be effected in the kitchens.
With these few words of explanation in reply to the comments of Members, I have much pleasure in declaring my support for the motion before this Council.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Mr. Chairman, in rising to support the motion, may I thank Mr. BERNACCHI, Mr. MARDEN, Mr. Wilfred WONG and Mr. CHEONG-LEEN generally for their constructive comments on hawker matters and particularly for their generous remarks on the improved relations between hawkers and the department's staff. All concerned, and especially the Hawker Control Force, have worked
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