Page 52 of 243.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: --Not in the context of the original question Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. I think you should let this go back to the relevant Select Committee to make sure they get the right translation, whatever it may be.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Mr. Chairman, it is such a minor question. Why is Mr. SALES afraid to answer it?
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I say this out of sheer respect for Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, because he's the Chairman of the Standing Orders and Procedures Committee, I would not like to set aside Standing Orders and set a bad example for Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: -Thank you Mr. SALES.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Mr. Chairman, I usually rely on your indulgence, sometimes you do stretch Standing Orders; in this case you seem to be siding on the Appointed side.
CHAIRMAN: -Surely, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, you don't mind it going back for study by the Select Committee?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Not at all Mr. Chairman, that's why I'm moving on to the next question. (Laughter).
(15) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
Will the Commissioner for Resettlement advise whether it is the policy of the Hong Kong Government to resettle registered and unregistered factories in urban multi-storey buildings which are potentially dangerous health and fire hazards into resettlement factory estates? Can the Commissioner inquire whether the Government has any intention to take any steps in this direction in the very near future?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
It is not the policy of the Hong Kong Government to resettle registered or unregistered factories in urban multi-storey buildings which are potentially dangerous health or fire hazards; nor are there any plans to adopt this policy in the immediate future.
The problem of these factories is a complex one and the whole question is being examined by Government. Resettlement has been considered as a possible solution but there are a number of practical difficulties.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
87
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Could the Commissioner elaborate and give us one or two illustrations of the more serious type of difficulties?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -Well, the two main difficulties are these. These are private premises and if the factories are cleared out of them it is extremely difficult to exercise control and make sure that they or other factories don't move in again. The other more serious difficulty is that it seems most likely that the majority of the factories would not be willing to accept the resettlement accommodation that we offered.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Mr. Chairman, if on health grounds, or in the case of serious fire hazard, it is desirable in the public interest that these factories should be moved, surely it should be possible for a programme to be worked out for these factories to be offered resettlement accommodation, if a policy can be agreed upon? Could the Commissioner please answer this.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -That is quite possible, Sir, but the difficulty here is that this is getting outside my province. This problem is not mine, it's the concern of other departments and there are various factors that have to be considered, quite apart from the pure resettlement aspect of the thing, and I can't really speak for those departments.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Then, Mr. Chairman, since I am, as an Urban Councillor, very much concerned with this problem, I would be grateful if the Commissioner could obtain up-to-date information on what is being done between his department and other departments, for instance Labour Department, and let me know in writing the up-to-date position. I would be grateful if he could do that.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -I shall certainly write and ask the Departments but I can't of course speak for them and say that they will give you this information.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Not until they are within the province of the Urban Council, I feel, Mr. Chairman. But I would point out for the record that out of 7,861 factory units there are 2,323 units still vacant.
(16) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
In regard to the Ham Tin Resettlement Estate which has a population of about 45,000, can the Commissioner for Resettlement:
(a) Please advise if there is any space allocated for kindergartens in this estate, and if not, why not?
Page 52 of 243.
Page 52 of 243.
Page 52 of 243
86
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: --Not in the context of the original question Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. I think you should let this go back to the relevant Select Committee to make sure they get the right translation, whatever it may be.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, it is such a minor question. Why is Mr. SALES afraid to answer it?
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I say this out of sheer respect for Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, because he's the Chairman of the Standing Orders and Procedures Committee, I would not like to set aside Standing Orders and set a bad example for Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-Thank you Mr. SALES.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I usually rely on your indul- gence, sometimes you do stretch Standing Orders; in this case you seem to be siding on the Appointed side.
CHAIRMAN:-Surely, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, you don't mind it going back for study by the Select Committee?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Not at all Mr. Chairman, that's why I'm moving on to the next question. (Laughter).
(15) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
Will the Commissioner for Resettlement advise whether it is the policy of the Hong Kong Government to resettle registered and unregistered factories in urban multi-storey buildings which are potentially dangerous health and fire hazards into resettlement factory estates? Can the Com- missioner inquire whether the Government has any inten- tion to take any steps in this direction in the very near future?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
It is not the policy of the Hong Kong Government to resettle registered or unregistered factories in urban multi-storey buildings which are potentially dangerous health or fire hazards; nor are there any plans to adopt this policy in the immediate future.
The problem of these factories is a complex one and the whole question is being examined by Government. Resettle- ment has been considered as a possible solution but there are a number of practical difficulties.
I
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
87
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Could the Commissioner elaborate and give us one or two illustrations of the more serious type of difficulties?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -Well, the two main difficul- ties are these. These are private premises and if the factories are cleared out of them it is extremely difficult to exercise control and make sure that they or other factories don't move in again. The other more serious difficulty is that it seems most likely that the majority of the factories would not be willing to accept the resettlement accommodation that we offered.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, if on health grounds, or in the case of serious fire hazard, it is desirable in the public interest that these factories should be moved, surely it should be possible for a programme to be worked out for these factories to be offered resettle- ment accommodation, if a policy can be agreed upon? Could the Commissioner please answer this.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-That is quite possible, Sir, but the difficulty here is that this is getting outside my province. This problem is not mine, it's the concern of other departments and there are various factors that have to be considered, quite apart from the pure resettlement aspect of the thing, and I can't really speak for those departments.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Then, Mr. Chairman, since I am, as an Urban Councillor, very much concerned with this problem, I would be grateful if the Commissioner could obtain up-to-date information on what is being done between his department and other departments, for instance Labour Department, and let me know in writing the up-to-date position. I would be grateful if he could do that.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--I shall certainly write and ask the Departments but I can't of course speak for them and say that they will give you this information.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Not until they are within the province of the Urban Council, I feel, Mr. Chairman. But I would point out for the record that out of 7,861 factory units there are 2,323 units still vacant.
(16) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
In regard to the Ham Tin Resettlement Estate which has a population of about 45,000, can the Commissioner for Resettlement:
(a) Please advise if there is any space allocated for kindergartens in this estate, and if not, why not?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.