1972 — Page 146

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To put in a nutshell, besides building numerous public houses, it is also worthwhile to study the problem of how to encourage other organizations to build privately-owned houses so as to overcome the shortage of houses. I think an independent committee should be set up to study the whole case systematically and in great depth and to put forth methods of implementation.

Mr. Chairman, there are some more questions I wish to mention here. I am increasingly concerned at the operation of small factories in multi-storey domestic buildings on both sides of the harbour and I think that immediate and effective measures should be taken to eliminate these factories. In a modern city, factory and domestic accommodation cannot be located at the same place because fire and other dangerous accidents are apt to break out in factories, thereby greatly jeopardizing the safety of the tenants. Besides, dirty air created by these factories will pose a health menace to the tenants too.

Another question concerns the re-development plan of Western District. We know that this is the first sizeable city re-development plan in Hong Kong but its significance is not just that. It can well be said that this plan may set a precedent for future re-development. Certainly, difficulties are numerous in the course of re-development, such as the time-consuming task of resuming privately-owned property but we still hope that work on the plan can be carried out as quickly as possible so that the living environment of residents in the Western District can be improved at an early date. This will also be a landmark along the way leading to further prosperity in our local community.

As regards the provision of public housing by Government, I am particularly happy to see that my suggestion for the establishment of a Public Housing Department, made during my first sitting at the Urban Council Annual Conventional Debate, have now been realized. However, it is hoped that considerations also be given and actions taken to deal with the other suggestions made by me at that time. They include selling low-cost housing flats to the public on installment basis; evicting families occupying flats in Government low-cost housing estates and Housing Authority estates, whose income, as a result of rising standard of living, have exceeded the limits set for tenants of units in such estates. These measures are reasonable and beneficial to the community. Indeed, most citizens share my views. Of course, we may encounter technical difficulties when carrying out these suggestions. However, I do not think they are insuperable.

Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I am pleased to support the motion to accept the Statement of Aims for 1973-74.

Mr. Chairman, this will be the last time that I attend the Annual Conventional Debate. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the very fine co-operation my colleagues and the officers in the U.S.D. have rendered me in connection with my work with the Urban Council in the past few years. It has been a very pleasant and rewarding job.

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I would like to add, however, some of my observations, for all their worth. I feel that Councillors, elected or appointed, all have their personal ideals and a strong desire to serve the community. They have ideas or concrete proposals, the implementation of which will, in their view, make Hong Kong more stable, more progressive, more prosperous, and a better place to live in. They should and do work for the well-being of the man in the street, and not for personal publicity, or the very shallow and superficial personal glories. However, it is unfortunate that at times the latter does happen. But work is often more effectively done in committee rooms and the silent worker accomplishes his goals quickly without publicity.

I shall not be a candidate in the coming Urban Council elections and the reasons are personal. But this will not mean my total withdrawal from public service. I shall, in other capacities, continue to serve the community of which I am a part and which I love so much.

Mr. Chairman, I support the motion. (Applause).

MR. LO TAK-SHING (In Cantonese): - When His Excellency the Governor spoke about housing in his Legislative Council address last month, he said that current planning took a target of 10 years and had as its objective to build on such a scale that there would be "sufficient permanent self-contained accommodation in a reasonable environment for every inhabitant of Hong Kong". He also said that, while the different authorities, boards, organizations, and departments operating in the field of housing had all done sterling work, there had been a fragmentation of effort and the housing programme as a whole had suffered from the absence of unified control and administration.

I would like to take what His Excellency said a little further. It is my considered view that in Government housing, we should have, not only unified control and administration, but a policy for a unified standard of quality. Whatever may be the historical justification, there is no good reason to retain the present multi-level system of resettlement, low-cost housing, and Housing Authority estates. On the one hand, all Government housing should satisfy certain reasonable requirements. The long-standing policy that resettlement planning is based not on the need for housing but on Government land requirements should be formally discarded. Sub-standard rabbit-warren estates do society more harm than good. They are in many ways—notably in the fostering of crime—worse than the squatter huts which they replace. On the other hand, once we fulfil the reasonable requirements...

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