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building programme a reality and as good as, or better than, as envisaged by His Excellency.
The combination of the Resettlement and Public Housing in one new department under a Secretary for Housing, has been one of the Reform Club's aims for many years. Whilst I am sorry that the Housing Authority will not, in future, consist of just the Urban Councillors, I am sure the Governor will observe his pledge to make the Urban Council the biggest individual body to be represented on the Authority, which Authority is now at last undoubted in control of all housing problems. I am sure that although it will be technically an appointment by the Governor, in practice, the Governor will consult the Urban Council as to its representatives.
There is only one or two things more to be said on this subject at Housing at this time. First of all, in catering for almost 2 million people over the next 10 years, we must not forget that the overcrowding in older Resettlement Estates should be almost first priority. The Reform Club was always opposed to this ridiculous maximum of only 24 sq. ft. per adult, children counting as half, that was the minimum density in the Resettlement Estates. And even though, to make that the density, the Building Ordinance had to be amended to cut out the minimum density of 35 sq. ft. Also children cannot be classified as half. Children go to school at an early age, and a student requires more space than an adult. Secondly, although I can see development in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and eventually Castle Peak, is a necessity and access facilities will be developed at the same time, so that no new estate is in fact very far from the urban areas. Nevertheless, I would plead for full development of the Hong Kong Island, so that people whose home had been on the Island for many years, possibly, generations, will not suddenly be required to go to the New Territories. There are very bad squatter villages on Hong Kong Island, dangerous, sometimes drug-ridden, whose occupants must be rehoused on the Island. Hing Wah Estate, Stage II which will be ready for occupation in about two years will only be sufficient to provide accommodation for relief of desperate overcrowding in Chai Wan and possibly some other special groups of persons. So where will these enormous squatter villages go to, without new estates on the Island. I would ask the Governor to pay special attention to this point. In my opinion, it is not that there are no more sites on Hong Kong Island, but any site with additional money to be spent on adequate road access, including perhaps a revival of the old proposal of a tunnel through Victoria Park.
Thirdly, I would urge the Governor and the Government to have an unofficial Chairman on the new Housing Authority, like, next year, there will be an unofficial Chairman on this Council. After all, it is
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
295
only at Urban Council level that the people of Hong Kong can be seen to have their own representatives, and it is vital to obtain their co-operation in this enormous housing development. What better way than to have an unofficial Chairman, elected or appointed of the Housing Authority, so that the people can be seen to be having a say in their own future, and not turn the Housing Authority into just another Government Committee as it may possibly be with official Chairman.
Lastly, I would like to pay particularly praise for the present Commissioner of Housing in that he has been largely responsible for steering the Housing Authority through great difficulties to make it the one outstanding Authority that is in Hong Kong at present.
I now turn to give Members a report of the Finance and General Purposes Select Committee which I have the honour to have been appointed as Chairman. This Committee has been literally formulating the whole future of the New Urban Council, based on papers and suggestions of many Government departments but principally the Colonial Secretariat, including most especially the Finance Branch, the Legal Department and the Urban Services Department. I have to report to you how willing these Government servants have been to get down to this enormous work, which could not be undertaken without their full co-operation. They have indeed, subject to the consent of the Executive Council, recommended various alterations to the White Paper in this Council's favour, and in fact giving more independence of action, especially financially, to the Urban Council. There are inevitable disagreements, mainly on principles and mainly amongst members of the Committee themselves. Unfortunately, this even goes to arguments on the rights, privileges, and position of the future Chairman. Some Members think that to be open to all to be able to accept, and in view of the fairly substantial work involved, the Chairman should be paid a substantial honorarium so that he or she can, if necessary, give up a considerable amount of time to the job during his term of office. Others, indeed the majority of the Committee, think that it would be derogatory of the position of the Chairman for him to receive any financial benefit at all, the support of the other members in making him Chairman being enough inducement to give up sufficient time to that office, and that he should only be refunded only genuinely out of pocket expenses, such as entertainment, secretarial and the like.
I mention this particular matter because some of the members of the Committee, especially the present Chairman of the Urban Council, think that it is essential for the Government to know, and the Urban Council Urban Services Department to know, at an early date, who will be the first Urban Council Chairman whereas other
Page 159 of 206
Page 158 of 206
294
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
building programme a reality and as good as, or better then, as envisaged by His Excellency.
The combination of the Resettlement and Public Housing in one new department under a Secretary for Housing, has been one of the Reform Club's aims for many years. Whilst I am sorry that the Housing Authority will not, in future, consist of just the Urban Councillors, I am sure the Governor will observe his pledge to make the Urban Council the biggest individual body to be represented on the Authority, which Authority is now at last undoubted in control of all housing problems. I am sure that although it will be technically an appointment by the Governor, in practice, the Governor will consult the Urban Council as to its representatives.
There is only one or two things more to be said on this subject at Housing at this time. First of all, in catering for almost 2 million people over the next 10 years, we must not forget that the overcrowding in older Resettlement Estates should be almost first priority. The Reform Club was always opposed to this ridiculous maximum of only 24 sq. ft. per adult, children counting as half, that was the minimum density in the Resettlement Estates. And even though, to make that the density, the Building Ordinance had to be amended to cut out the minimum density of 35 sq. ft. Also children cannot be classified as half. Children go to school at an early age, and a student requires more space than an adult. Secondly, although I can see development in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and eventually Castle Peak, is a necessity and access facilities will be developed at the same time, so that no new estate is in fact very far from the urban areas. Never- theless, I would plead for full development of the Hong Kong Island, so that people whose home had been on the Island for many years, possibly, generations, will not suddenly be required to go to the New Territories. There are very bad squatter villages on Hong Kong Island, dangerous, sometimes drug ridden, whose occupants must be rehoused on the Island. Hing Wah Estate, Stage II which will be ready for occupation in about two years will only be sufficient to provide accommodation for relief of desperate overcrowding in Chai Wan and possibly some other special groups of persons. So where will these enormous squatter villages go to, without new estates on the Island. I would ask the Governor to pay special attention to this point. In my opinion, it is not that there are no more sites on Hong Kong Island, but any site with additional money to be spent on adequate road access, including perhaps a revival of the old proposal of a tunnel through Victoria Park.
Thirdly, I would urge the Governor and the Government to have an unofficial Chairman on the new Housing Authority, like, next year, there will be an unofficial Chairman on this Council. Afterall, it is
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
295
only at Urban Council level that the people of Hong Kong can be seen to have their own representatives, and it is vital to obtain their co- operation in this enormous housing development. What better way than to have an unofficial Chairman, elected or appointed of the Housing Authority, so that the people can be seen to be having a say in their own future, and not turn the Housing Authority into just another Government Committee as it may possibly be with official Chairman.
Lastly, I would like to pay particularly praise for the present Commissioner of Housing in that he has been largely responsible for steering the Housing Authority through great difficulties to make it the one outstanding Authority that is in Hong Kong at present.
I now turn to give Members a report of the Finance and General Purposes Select Committee which I have the honour to have been appointed as Chairman. This Committee has been literally formulat- ing the whole future of the New Urban Council, based on papers and suggestions of many Government departments but principally the Colonial Secretariat, including most especially the Finance Branch, the Legal Department and the Urban Services Department. I have to report to you how willing these Government servants have been to get down to this enormous work, which could not be undertaken without their full co-operation. They have indeed, subject to the consent of the Executive Council, recommended various alterations to the White Paper in this Council's favour, and in fact giving more independence of action, especially financially, to the Urban Council. There are inevitable disagreements, mainly on principles and mainly amongst members of the Committee themselves. Unfortunately, this even goes to arguments on the rights, privileges, and position of the future Chairman. Some Members, think that to be open to all to be able to accept, and in view of the fairly substantial work involved, the Chairman should be paid a substantial honorarium so that he or she, can if necessary, give up a considerable amount of time, to the job during his term of office. Others, indeed the majority of the Committee, think that it would be derogatory of the position of the Chairman for him to receive any financial benefit at all, the support of the other members in making him Chairman being enough induce- ment to give up sufficient time to that office, and that he should only be refunded only genuinely out of pocket expenses, such as entertain- ment, secretarial and the like.
I mention this paticular matter because some of the members of the Committee, especially the present Chairman of the Urban Council, think that it is essential for the Government to know, and the Urban Council Urban Services Department to know, at an early date, who will be the first Urban Council Chairman whereas other
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