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clearance of a squatter area all those who want resettlement and are eligible for resettlement are already registered and the only thing that would happen would be that if an area is compulsorily cleared then an early entrance to public housing would be given to the squatters who had already been declared eligible for public housing. If, of course, the Resettlement Department is to continue as a separate department, then I very much support the contention of Mr. Hu that the resettlement policies should be liberalized and in my submission a high priority given to welfare cases, not merely a limited quota as at present. I do hope that the forthcoming Public Assistance Scheme will in fact be forthcoming this year. It has been talked about from the Governor downwards for so many years that I for one from the beginning have the impression that is all mere talk.
Turning to the remarks made by the Director of Public Works, I thank him for breaching Standing Orders so much as he is entitled to do at our Conventional Debate and giving us such a clear picture of the intentions of the Public Works Department, a matter which although it may not perhaps be directly within the purview of this Urban Council concerns the welfare of the citizens at large, and therefore, in that sense is very much within the should-be purview of this Council. I note that Government is now designing accommodation on a basis of 35 sq. ft. per person as opposed to 24 sq. ft. but I cannot help making the comment when he added that each room will be completed with running water, and a flush toilet that if it was not for the co-operation of a certain architect of his Department who gave up his last day before proceeding on leave several years ago to work on a suggestion of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee that Mark V Resettlement Accommodation would have been provided without a separate toilet each and we would have had Mark V go back to the older resettlement estates of sharing of toilets which is never a good thing. I am glad to hear that planning is in hand for the construction of a further 240,000 units in the next few years, but I think Mr. Forsgate's query is whether this is as much forward planning as for a few years ago? After all, our population is continually on the increase, the main problem of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee is the overcrowding of rooms already occupied by tenants originally at 24 sq. ft. and now down to as little in some cases as 10 sq. ft. per adult! I think our concern generally is that the Government-sponsored housing must have forward plans not even at the same rate as 5 or 10 years ago but at an ever-accelerating rate. I personally am not so hopeful as the Director of Public Works that we have established a final camp from which we can see the summit. I would remind him the problem of squatters is as old as Hong Kong itself. I remember some years ago that the so-called experts used figures which they claimed showed that however many houses could be built it would never come to meet the increase in the population.
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considering the backlog from which we started. I was one of the ones who did not accept these figures and urged Government to build, build, build and build. I am still urging the Government to build, build, build and build and not be deluded into thinking that we can even limp to the summit. If we can I assure Members that it is a false peak.
I criticized the present form and work of the Housing Board in my speech last year and I will not repeat that criticism except to say that it should not only be for the Housing Board to consider whether there should be one authority for all the Government housing. We, through the Urban Council and through the Housing Authority, are in direct touch with all Government housing and I hope that the Government will consider our arguments as well as, indeed in preference to, the views of the Housing Board which as time goes on is more and more remote from the everyday problems of the tenants of the Government housing. I agree with the Director when he infers that the big Government housing estates, resettlement, and Low-Cost Housing even indeed the Housing Authority are equivalent to medium-sized English towns. But how long has that been appreciated, not very long. The original intention was merely to build accommodation and shops without consideration being given to the other essentials of life. Even now such things as cinemas and really good recreational facilities are very much in the future. Chai Wan in particular has had no football fields for several years and a temporary and a relatively small football field has just been constructed, yet Chai Wan itself has a population of about 80,000 people. The young people in Chai Wan and the same in every other resettlement area have nothing to do in the evenings whatsoever, but walk about streets which they do in considerable numbers. I agree whole-heartedly with the D.P.W. on his theme that planning consultants appointed from outside may cause a delay in the building of Government housing. But I would suggest that planning consultants could be engaged on the specific understanding that until their proposed plan is produced and adopted with or without alterations the present rate of increase in Government housing will not be affected.
Whilst this Council appreciates the explanation given both by the Director of Public Works and by the Chairman of this Council, as regards recreational and amenities programmes, nevertheless, there is a slowing down of completion of all these projects. All Unofficials feel that Government must be reminded that not only do we have to catch up with a very heavy backlog but also we must keep pace with a growth in population and the demand by young people for recreation. Therefore we feel that Government must double its efforts in this direction, particularly in the very heavily populated older districts which are so short of play opportunities for the residents. Money
Page 204 of 237
Page 204 of 237
384
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
clearance of a squatter area all those who want resettlement and are aligible for resettlement are already registered and the only thing that would happen would be that if an area is compulsorily cleared then an early entrance to public housing would be given to the squatters who had already been declared eligible for public housing. If, of course, the Resettlement Department is to continue as a separate department, then I very much support the contention of Mr. Hu that the resettle- ment policies should be liberalized and in my submission a high priority given to welfare cases, not merely a limited quota as at present. I do hope that the forthcoming Public Assistance Scheme will in fact be forthcoming this year. It has been talked about from the Governor downwards for so many years that I for one from the beginning have the impression that is all mere talk.
Turning to the remarks made by the Director of Public Works, I thank him for breaching Standing Orders so much as he is entitled to do at our Conventional Debate and giving us such a clear picture of the intentions of the Public Works Department, a matter which although it may not perhaps be directly within the purview of this Urban Council concerns the welfare of the citizens at large, and there- fore, in that sense is very much within the should-be purview of this Council. I note that Government is now designing accommodation on a basis of 35 sq. ft. per person as opposed to 24 sq. ft. but I cannot help making the comment when he added that each room will be completed with running water, and a flush toilet that if it was not for the co-operation of a certain architect of his Department who gave up his last day before proceeding on leave several years ago to work on a suggestion of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee that Mark V Resettlement Accommodation would have been provided without a separate toilet each and we would have had Mark V go back to the older resettlement estates of sharing of toilets which is never a good thing. I am glad to hear that planning is in hand for the construction of a further 240,000 unit in the next few years, but I think Mr. FORSGATE'S query is whether this is as much forward planning as for a few years ago? Afterall, our population is continually on the increase, the main problem of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee is the overcrowding of rooms already occupied by tenants originally at 24 sq. ft. and now down to as little in some cases as 10 sq. ft. per adult! I think our concern generally is that the Government sponsored housing must have forward plans not even at the same rate as 5 or 10 years ago but at even at an ever accelerating rate. I personally am not so hopeful as the Director of Public Works that we have established a final camp from which we can see the summit. I would remind him the problem of squatters is as old as Hong Kong itself. I remember some years ago that the so-called experts used figures which they claimed showed that however many houses could be built it would never come to meet the increase in the population
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
385
considering the back log from which we started. I was one of the ones who did not accept these figures and urged Government to build, build, build and build. I am still urging the Government to build, build, build and build and not be deluded into thinking that we can even limp to the summit. If we can I assure Members that it is false peak.
I criticized the present form and work of the Housing Board in my speech last year and I will not repeat that criticism except to say that it should not only be for the Housing Board to consider whether there should one authority for all the Government housing. We, through the Urban Council and through the Housing Authority, are in direct touch with all Government housing and I hope that the Government will consider, our arguments as well as, indeed in pref- erence to, the views of the Housing Board which as time goes on is more and more remote from the everyday problems of the tenants of the Government housing. I agree with the Director when he infers that the big Government housing estates, resettlement, and Low Cost Housing even indeed the Housing Authority are equivalent to medium sized English towns. But how long has that been appreciated, not very long. The original intention was merely to build accommodation and shops without consideration being given to the other essentials of life. Even now such things as cinemas and really good recreational facilities are very much in the future. Chai Wan in particular has had no football fields for several years and a temporary and a relatively small football field has just been constructed, yet Chai Wan itself has a population of about 80,000 people. The young people in Chai Wan and the same in every other resettlement area have nothing to do in the evenings whatsoever, but walk about streets which they do in considerable numbers. I agree whole-heartedly with the D.P.W. on his theme that planning consultants appointed from outside may cause a delay in the building of Government housing. But I would suggest that planning consultants could be engaged on the specific understanding that until their proposed plan is produced and adopted with or without alterations the present rate of increase in Government housing will not be affected.
Whilst this Council appreciates the explanation given both by the Director of Public Works and by the Chairman of this Council, as regards recreational and amenities programmes, nevertheless, there is slowing down of completion of all these projects. All Unofficials feel that Government must be reminded that not only do we have to catch up with a very heavy backlog but also we must keep pace with a growth in population and the demand by young people for recreation. Therefore we feel that Government must double its efforts in this direction, particularly in the very heavy populated older districts which are so short of play opportunities for the residents. Money
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