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430
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the meeting held on 2nd February, 1971, were confirmed.
(Mr. Henry H. L. HU arrived at this point).
PAPERS.
The Chairman laid upon the table the following papers:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of February 1971.
(2) Analysis of Staff Increases 1971-72-Urban Services Department.
(3) Analysis of Other Charges 1971-72-Urban Services Department.
(4) Analysis of Draft Estimates 1971-72--Resettlement Department.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI-Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and Chairman of the Joint Resettlement Policy and Management Select Committees when meeting together, I would like, formally, to inform this Council that on the morning of the 25th February, after considering an urgent message from His Excellency the Governor, the aforesaid Joint Committees resolved to treat domestic occupiers of Chong Hing Mansion on the same footing as if they were tenants of pre-war buildings and agreed to offer resettlement on Hong Kong Island to those that desire it, mainly in Hing Wah Resettlement Estate, the new Estate at Chai Wan or, if they prefer, at Sau Mau Ping in Kowloon. (Mr. Henry Wong arrived at this point). There are a limited number of vacancies in Shek Pai Wan in Aberdeen but I would advise all the occupiers to choose Hing Wah as they will be accommodated in new blocks at about 35 sq. ft. per adult whereas the accommodation at Shek Pai Wan is older and they would be accommodated strictly at the figure applicable to this estate that is to say only 24 sq. ft. per adult. People who are considering this resettlement will have to be screened in accordance with the provisions of Part III of the Resettlement Ordinance. Apparently this ruling made by the Urban Council through the relevant Select Committees, is quite popular with these domestic tenants, a majority of whom have agreed to be so screened. Indeed the Resettlement Department asked for and received permission from the Joint Select Committee to begin screening the very morning of 25th February. I stressed to members that the offer is applicable to all genuine occupiers, without distinction as to whether they are tenants or individual flat owners with one rider, however, that as regards individual flat owners the Resettlement offered would be only until Chong Hing Mansion is re-erected.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
431
In view of the justifiable public sympathy that the distress of these occupiers has aroused, the Joint Select Committee did not think it appropriate to wait until this public meeting to announce the decision, and they authorized me, as their Chairman, to disclose it to the press on the same day, which I did with the able assistance of the Commissioner for Resettlement himself. I should also like to stress that this offer is not intended to affect in any way negotiations for compensation between the occupiers of the Chong Hing Mansion and the principal landlords.
The Chong Hing Mansion was in fact declared dangerous within the provisions of Section 26 of the Building Ordinance Cap. 123 on the 3rd February, 1971, I understand that the Building Authority intends to apply to the District Court for a foreclosure order under Section 27 of the same Ordinance on or about the 3rd of May, 1971 and that the Building is in such a condition as not to enable the Building Authority to extend that date, in the interest of the occupiers themselves. However, the premises at Hing Wah Resettlement Estates will be ready in April for them to move into at the beginning of May.
On Friday the 26th February, I did receive a delegation of representatives of the occupiers who enquired, amongst other things, about the possibility of being accommodated in the Housing Authority Estate at Wah Fu. I promised to and have already passed this request to the Commissioner for Housing so that it can be discussed in the appropriate Committee meeting of the Housing Authority. However, I informed the representatives of the tenants at that time, and it has since been confirmed by the Commissioner for Housing, that resettlement accommodation rather than Housing Authority accommodation is more designed for an emergency purpose, that Housing Authority accommodation is subject to a means test, is only given to persons earning between strictly limited income levels laid down by the Governor-in-Council, and generally in the order that they have registered. I therefore advised the representatives that they should not delay getting their families screened for resettlement. For the public, rather than for the Members of the Urban Council, I should add that this offer of resettlement to these occupiers will not do anyone else out of resettlement who is already waiting for it, because resettlement works on priorities, not on a waiting list, and the Council has already worked out for the coming year an estimate of the number of places that will be required to accommodate people that are evicted from pre-war buildings during the year because
Page 226 of 241
Page 226 of 241
430
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the meeting held on 2nd February, 1971, were confirmed.
(Mr. Henry H. L. HU arrived at this point).
PAPERS.
The Chairman laid upon the table the following papers:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of February 1971.
(2) Analysis of Staff Increases 1971-72-Urban Services
Department.
(3) Analysis of Other Charges 1971-72-Urban Services
Department.
(4) Analysis of Draft Estimates 1971-72--Resettlement Depart-
ment.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI-Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and Chairman of the Joint Resettlement Policy and Management Select Committees when meeting together, I would like, formally, to inform this Council that on the morning of the 25th February, after considering an urgent message from His Excellency the Governor, the aforesaid Joint Committees resolved to treat domestic occupiers of Chong Hing Mansion on the same footing as if they were tenants of pre-war buildings and agreed to offer resettle- ment on Hong Kong Island to those that desire it, mainly in Hing Wah Resettlement Estate, the new Estate at Chai Wan or, if they prefer, at Sau Mau Ping in Kowloon. (Mr. Henry Wong arrived at this point). There are a limited number of vacancies in Shek Pai Wan in Aberdeen but I would advise all the occupiers to choose Hing Wah as they will be accommodated in new blocks at about 35 sq. ft. per adult whereas the accommodation at Shek Pai Wan is older and they would be accom- modated strictly at the figure applicable to this estate that is to say only 24 sq. ft. per adult. People who are considering this resettlement will have to be screened in accordance with the provisions of Part III of the Resettlement Ordinance. Apparently this ruling made by the Urban Council through the relevant Select Committees, is quite popular with these domestic tenants, a majority of whom have agreed to be so screened. Indeed the Resettlement Department asked for and received
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
431
permission from the Joint Select Committee to begin screening the very morning of 25th February. I stressed to members that the offer is applicable to all genuine occupiers, without distinction as to whether they are tenants or individual flat owners with one rider, however, that as regards individual flat owners the Resettlement offered would be only until Chong Hing Mansion is re-erected.
In view of the justifiable public sympathy that the distress of these occupiers has aroused, the Joint Select Committee did not think it appropriate to wait until this public meeting to announce the decision, and they authorized me, as their Chairman, to disclose it to the press on the same day, which I did with the able assistance of the Commissioner for Resettlement himself. I should also like to stress that this offer is not intended to affect in any way negotiations for compensation between the occupiers of the Chong Hing Mansion and the principal landlords.
The Chong Hing Mansion was in fact declared dangerous within the provisions of Section 26 of the Building Ordinance Cap. 123 on the 3rd February, 1971, I understand that the Building Authority intends to apply to the District Court for a foreclosure order under Section 27 of the same Ordinance on or about the 3rd of May, 1971 and that the Building is in such a condition as not to enable the Building Authority to extend that date, in the interest of the occupiers themselves. How- ever, the premises at Hing Wah Resettlement Estates will be ready in April for them to move into at the beginning of May.
On Friday the 26th February, I did receive a delegation of represent- atives of the occupiers who enquired, amongst other things, about the possibility of being accommodated in the Housing Authority Estate at Wah Fu. I promised to and have already passed this request to the Commissioner for Housing so that it can be discussed in the appropriate Committee meeting of the Housing Authority. However, I informed the representatives of the tenants at that time, and it has since been confirmed by the Commissioner for Housing, that resettlement accom- modation rather than Housing Authority accommodation is more design- ed for an emergency purpose, that Housing Authority accommodation is subject to a means test, is only given to persons earning between strictly limited income levels laid down by the Governor-in-Council, and generally in the order that they have registered. I therefore advised the representatives that they should not delay getting their families screened for resettlement. For the public, rather than for the Members of the Urban Council, I should add that this offer of resettlement to these occupiers will not do any one else out of resettlement who is already waiting for it, because resettlement works on priorities, not on a waiting list, and the Council has already worked out for the coming year an estimate of the number of places that will be required to accommodate people that are evicted from pre-war buildings during the year because
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