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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--It might be divided into two parts. I would not describe 3,400 odd as many thousands in relation to the number of children of school age living in the estate.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of explanation, many thousands, in my opinion, is anywhere from 3,000 up. (Laughter).
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--Secondly, the point about priority of admissions is that one would expect almost any child, if the parents wished, to attend school, if they could find a place for him with the system of priority of admissions. As I said, many thousands of children are unable to attend schools and many thousands do not attend schools. There are other reasons, as I stated later in my answer, why some children do not attend schools.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I say that I think the Commissioner's report that many of the children cannot go to school because of the need to look after their younger brothers and sisters, is correct. Does that not suggest we need more schools for perhaps smaller children in resettlement areas?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--The Director of Education informs me that there is a programme for kindergartens, but that it is a necessarily slow progress. In his opinion, it is the ultimate answer to this problem.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I intend to pursue this subject further, Mr. Chairman, but I will save my ammunition for a later date.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
In order to assist licensed and unlicensed hawkers, and residents of resettlement estates in the Kwun Tong area to find employment in industry, will the Chairman please inquire from the Labour Department what assistance its Kwun Tong Office can give in this respect?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
The Divisional Factory Inspector in charge of the Labour Department's Divisional Offices at Kwun Tong, has been notified by factory proprietors in the Kwun Tong area of the existence of 1,684 vacancies on their establishments at the present time. These vacancies are in 38 different factories engaged in the manufacture of textiles, garments, plastics, metalware, buttons, paper products and other industries. 504 of the vacancies are for men and 1,180 for women.
Anyone wishing to work in the Kwun Tong area can apply to the Labour Department Divisional Offices for further particulars and will be given a formal letter of introduction to any of these factories at which he or she may be interested in seeking employment. This information was obtained early in May in connexion with the clearance of squatters in Shau Kei Wan and their resettlement at Sau Mau Ping and Yau Tong Estates. The gist of it was embodied in leaflets in Chinese which were handed out to new settlers at these estates when they paid their first month's rent. The opportunity was also taken to distribute the leaflets in the same way at Tze Wan Shan Estate. Up to to-day, nobody had taken advantage of the Labour Department's offer of assistance.
MR. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I rise to ask a supplementary and suggest that this pamphlet be circulated amongst the pedlar hawkers? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in this connexion and with due respect, I would like to point out that this question was framed also to ascertain from the Director of Urban Services what is being done in regard to licensed and unlicensed hawkers in the Kwun Tong area. I might add that I am satisfied with the reply from the Commissioner for Resettlement, but I would like to get a reply also from the Director of Urban Services.
CHAIRMAN:-Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, would you please frame your question to me again? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, might I read my original question: "In order to assist licensed and unlicensed hawkers, and residents of resettlement estates in the Kwun Tong Area to find employment in industry, will the Chairman please inquire from the Labour Department what assistance its Kwun Tong Office can give in this respect?" I have had a reply from the Commissioner for Resettlement and I wonder whether a reply is forthcoming from the Urban Services Department.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, regarding assistance from the Labour Department's Divisional Offices, this, I understand, is available to anybody who wishes to take advantage of it. On the subject of this assistance being made available to licensed and unlicensed hawkers, the Department is looking into the possibility now.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, is it not a fact that when the hawkers at Shau Kei Wan were resettled across the harbour, this facility was made available to them at the instigation of the Resettlement (Policy) Select Committee?
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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--It might be divided into two parts. I would not describe 3,400 odd as many thousands in relation to the number of children of school age living in the estate.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of explanation, many thousands, in my opinion, is anywhere from 3,000 up. (Laughter).
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Secondly, the point about priority of admissions is that one would expect almost any child, if the parents wished, to attend school, if they could find a place for him with the system of priority of admissions. As I said, many thousands of children are unable to attend schools and many thousands do not attend schools. There are other reasons, as I stated later in my answer, why some children do not attend schools.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I say that I think the Com- missioner's report that many of the children cannot go to school because of the need to look after their younger brothers and sisters, is correct. Does that not suggest we need more schools for perhaps smaller children in resettlement areas?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT : --The Director of Education informs me that there is a programme for kindergartens, but that it is a necessarily slow progress. In his opinion, it is the ultimate answer to this problem.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I intend to pursue this subject further, Mr. Chairman, but I will save my ammunition for a later date.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question :-
In order to assist licensed and unlicensed hawkers, and residents of resettlement estates in the Kwun Tong area to find employment in industry, will the Chairman please inquire from the Labour Department what assistance its Kwun Tong Office can give in this respect?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
The Divisional Factory Inspector in charge of the Labour Department's Divisional Offices at Kwun Tong, has been notified by factory proprietors in the Kwun Tong area of the existence of 1,684 vacancies on their establishments at the present time. These vacancies are in 38 different factories engaged in the manufacture of textiles, garments, plastics, metalware, buttons, paper products and other industries. 504 of the vacancies are for men and 1,180 Anyone wishing to work in the Kwun Tong
for women.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
157
area can apply to the Labour Department Divisional Offices for further particulars and will be given a formal letter of introduction to any of these factories at which he or she may be interested in seeking employment. This information was obtained early in May in connexion with the clearance of squatters in Shau Kei Wan and their resettlement at Sau Mau Ping and Yau Tong Estates. The gist of it was embodied in leaflets in Chinese which were handed out to new settlers at these estates when they paid their first month's rent. The opportunity was also taken to distribute the leaflets in the same way at Tze Wan Shan Estate. Up to to-day, nobody had taken advantage of the Labour Department's offer of assistance.
MR. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I rise to ask a supplementary and suggest that this pamphlet be circulated amongst the pedlar hawkers? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in this connexion and with due respect, I would like to point out that this question was framed also to ascertain from the Director of Urban Services what is being done in regard to licensed and unlicensed hawkers in the Kwun Tong area. I might add that I am satisfied with the reply from the Commissioner for Resettlement, but I would like to get a reply also from the Director of Urban Services.
CHAIRMAN :-Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, would you please frame your question to me again? (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, might I read my original question: "In order to assist licensed and unlicensed hawkers, and residents of resettlement estates in the Kwun Tong Area to find employment in industry, will the Chairman please inquire from the Labour Department what assistance its Kwun Tong Office can give in this respect?" I have had a reply from the Commissioner for Resettlement and I wonder whether a reply is forthcoming from the Urban Services Department.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, regarding assistance from the Labour Depart- ment's Divisional Offices, this, I understand, is available to anybody who wishes to take advantage of it. On the subject of this assistance being made available to licensed and unlicensed hawkers, the Depart- ment is looking into the possibility now.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, is it not a fact that when the hawkers at Shau Kei Wan were resettled across the harbour, this facility was made available to them at the instigation of the Resettlement (Policy) Select Committee?
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