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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, Mr. SALES' point will be considered at the right time. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:-Am I to understand that it has not yet been considered at all, Mr. Chairman? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-At the last meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee, Mr. Wilfred WONG did put forward certain views, which I believe had initially emanated from Mr. SALES, but at that meeting it was thought that there was not sufficient information available from the Department and the purpose of this question to-day was part of the exercise of obtaining additional information and additional facts before the Urban Services Department could actively take this matter up further with the hawkers themselves.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that the Hawkers Select Committee has no long-term policy at all in trying to solve the hawker problem in Hong Kong?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, it has a very long-term policy, and if Mr. SALES would like to know, I shall be happy to invite him to the next meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, does that mean that the acting Chairman of the Select Committee concerned is unable to give me any answer at all? Obviously, he is trying to evade the issue.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I would be very happy to answer, but I am trying to safeguard Mr. SALES' interest because you might rule him out of order.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, I am so conscious of your forbearance in this matter that I would like to pursue my supplementary questions if I may. Now, Mr. Chairman, is it not desirable from the public point of view that the Select Committee should in fact examine the possibilities of introducing a firm, long-term policy rather than to deal with hawker problems as they arise from day to day, district to district?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I inform Mr. SALES that this problem is now under consideration.
MR. SALES:-Should it not have been under consideration for a good number of years, Mr. Chairman, since the problem is not a new one?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-It certainly is not a new one, Mr. Chairman, and every year when the question of hawkers is discussed in open Council or in Select Committee, it is always to the fore.
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MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, may I, through you, commend Mr. CHEONG-LEEN for his masterly evasion of the issue. I shall not pursue my supplementary questions, but I look forward to receiving further reports on the deliberations of the Hawkers Select Committee under his distinguished chairmanship.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is Mr. SALES evading my invitation to attend the next meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee? (Laughter).
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, I accept that invitation if I am assured that the meeting will start precisely at 8.45 a.m. and I do not have to wait until the Chairman gets there. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-During my chairmanship, the meeting always starts at 8.45 a.m.
(8) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:—
In answer to a question raised by the Hon. Dhun RUTTONJEE at the 22nd April, 1964 meeting of Legislative Council, the Financial Secretary stated that in March this year there were about 7,500 small-sized and tenement-type flats which were vacant in the urban areas. In view of the very serious overcrowding in the urban areas, a matter with which this Council is much concerned, will the Chairman inquire from Government what can be done to encourage the early letting of new small-sized and tenement-type flats which remain empty for 3 months or longer after issuance of Building Authority permits, so as to alleviate the severely overcrowded conditions in the urban areas?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
Sir, subsequent to the statement made by the Financial Secretary in the Legislative Council on 22nd April this year, the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation prepared a detailed report entitled "Review of Unoccupied Premises" which was made available to the Press early in May and copies of this are available for Members' information.*
I understand that as a result of this report, Government is not contemplating the introduction of any special measures to encourage the early letting of recently built domestic premises.
A copy was laid before each Member at the meeting.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, Mr. SALES' point will be considered at the right time. (Laughter).
MR. SALES-Am I to understand that it has not yet been con- sidered at all, Mr. Chairman? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-At the last meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee, Mr. Wilfred WONG did put forward certain views, which I believe had initially emanated from Mr. SALES, but at that meeting it was thought that there was not sufficient information available from the Department and the purpose of this question to-day was part of the exercise of obtaining additional information and additional facts before the Urban Services Department could actively take this matter up further with the hawkers themselves.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that the Hawkers Select Committee has no long-term policy at all in trying to solve the hawker problem in Hong Kong?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, it has a very long-term policy, and if Mr. SALES would like to know, I shall be happy to invite him to the next meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, does that mean that the acting Chairman of the Select Committee concerned is unable to give me any answer at all? Obviously, he is trying to evade the issue.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I would be very happy to answer, but I am trying to safeguard Mr. SALES' interest because you might rule him out of order.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I am so conscious of your forbear- ance in this matter that I would like to pursue my supplementary questions if I may. Now, Mr. Chairman, is it not desirable from the public point of view that the Select Committee should in fact examine the possibilities of introducing a firm, long-term policy rather than to deal with hawker problems as they arise from day to day, district to district?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I inform Mr. SALES that this problem is now under consideration.
MR. SALES: --Should it not have been under consideration for a good number of years, Mr. Chairman, since the problem is not a new one?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-It certainly is not a new one, Mr. Chairman, and every year when the question of hawkers is discussed in open Council or in Select Committee, it is always to the fore.
¡
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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I, through you, commend Mr. CHEONG-LEEN for his masterly evasion of the issue. I shall not pursue my supplementary questions, but I look forward to receiving further reports on the deliberations of the Hawkers Select Committee under his distinguished chairmanship.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, is Mr. SALES evading my invitation to attend the next meeting of the Hawkers Select Committee? (Laughter).
MR. SALES-Mr. Chairman, I accept that invitation if I am assured that the meeting will start precisely at 8.45 a.m. and I do not have to wait until the Chairman gets there. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-During my chairmanship, the meeting always starts at 8.45 a.m.
(8) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:—
**
In answer to a question raised by the Hon. Dhun RUTTONJEE at the 22nd April, 1964 meeting of Legislative Council, the Financial Secretary stated that in March this year there were about 7,500 small-sized and tenement-type flats which were vacant in the urban areas. In view of the very serious overcrowding in the urban areas, a matter with which this Council is much concerned, will the Chairman inquire from Government what can be done to encourage the early letting of new small-sized and tene- ment-type flats which remain empty for 3 months or longer after issuance of Building Authority permits, so as to alleviate the severely overcrowded conditions in the urban areas?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
Sir, subsequent to the statement made by the Financial Secretary in the Legislative Council on 22nd April this year, the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation prepared а detailed report entitled "Review of Unoccupied Premises" which was made available to the Press early in May and copies of this are available for Members' information.*
I understand that as a result of this report, Government is not contemplating the introduction of any special measures to encourage the early letting of recently built domestic premises.
A copy was laid before each Member at the meeting.
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