1972 — Page 31

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 31 of 206

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHAN: Mr. Chairman, I will try to answer both questions in the same way through my experience as a Ward Councillor. Sometimes we do try to get resettlement officers to come along on ward nights and explain the position. They first establish the number of families at a density of 17 sq. ft. and, if all apply there would be enough to fill vacancies. But quite a lot of people, although they are crowded, do not want to apply for larger accommodation. So the standard is raised to 20 sq. ft. but even up to 20 some people do not apply and then we have to raise it again and allocate to people who already have better accommodation. However, I will try to see that we work with the Resettlement Department to deal with this quicker, but all this raising is to safeguard those people who are at a lower density and who would not have a chance while people have the higher density.

MR. BERNACCHI: By way of a correction, the qualifying density for internal decantation varies from estate to estate.

MR. LO TAK-SHING: Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification. The Chairman just now did say, did he not, that really if everybody had taken it up then we would just about fill all the places. This means, of course, correct me if I am wrong, that only one-seventh of the people living at a density of 17 sq. ft. or worse have taken up these places.

MR. CHAN: Only one in seven bothered to apply. If Mr. Lo would go to Shek Kip Mei estate, you know quite a lot of the tenants occupy only 45 sq. ft., half a D room, with 5 in the family, but they do not want to leave the room. Even some of the charitable organizations offered them cash since.

MR. LO TAK-SHING: Mr. Chairman, is that affirmative confirmation of the one-seventh?

CHAIRMAN: Yes.

MR. LO TAK-SHING: Thank you.

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to confirm, first, that decantation is not compulsory, secondly, many families do not wish to have their lives disrupted by moving into new areas because of schooling of children, work places and so on?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, I confirm that on both counts without any doubt.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

(5) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:

(a) When are applications for empty rooms for internal decantation to recommence?

(b) Is it correct that Resettlement Officers have been informed, but ward councillors have not?

(c) Could the Commissioner assist in the efficiency of ward work by keeping the Council informed of such changes, now that they are not permitted to discuss policy in meetings as in the past?

MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:

There has apparently been some confusion. As long ago as January 1970, Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee agreed that tenants seeking more space in their present estate should apply only when applications are invited by the estate office. The agreed procedure is that Ward Councillors are sent a copy of every notice inviting applications, to help them in dealing with their ward clients. There was a temporary suspension of notices during February, March and April. While I am sorry that Ward Councillors were not specifically told of this suspension, there would have been no confusion if tenants enquiring at ward offices had simply been informed that they must wait until vacant rooms are advertised.

The temporary suspension is now over and notices inviting applications for rooms available for internal decantation issued on 1st May and this is the first such notice since 3rd January.

As to the second part of the question, I hope that by now all Ward Councillors will have received their copy of the notice issued on 1st May.

As to the third part of the question, there has certainly been a change in the policy governing the allocation of vacant rooms in closed estates, but this change of policy was fully discussed and approved by Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee on 26th January this year. This policy change required a review of the departmental working instructions which took some time to prepare; in any case to have offered rooms under the old basis in the intervening period from February to April would have substantially delayed the

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Page 31 of 206 42 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. CHAN: Mr. Chairman, I will try to answer both questions in the same way through my experience as a Ward Councillor. Sometimes we do try to get resettlement officers to come along on ward nights and explain the position. They first establish the number of families at a density of 17 sq. ft. and, if all apply there would be enough to fill vacancies. But quite a lot of people, although they are crowded, do not want to apply for larger accommodation. So the standard is raised to 20 sq. ft. but even up to 20 some people do not apply and then we have to raise it again and allocate to people who already have better accommodation. However, I will try to see that we work with the Resettlement Department to deal with this quicker, but all this raising is to safeguard those people who are at a lower density and who would not have a chance while people have the higher density. MR. BERNACCHI: By way of a correction, the qualifying density for internal decantation varies from estate to estate. MR. LO TAK-SHING: Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification. The Chairman just now did say, did he not, that really if everybody had taken it up then we would just about fill all the places. This means, of course, correct me if I am wrong, that only one-seventh of the people living at a density of 17 sq. ft. or worse have taken up these places. MR. CHAN: Only one in seven bothered to apply. If Mr. Lo would go to Shek Kip Mei estate, you know quite a lot of the tenants occupy only 45 sq. ft., half a D room, with 5 in the family, but they do not want to leave the room. Even some of the charitable organizations offered them cash since. MR. LO TAK-SHING: Mr. Chairman, is that affirmative confirmation of the one-seventh? CHAIRMAN: Yes. MR. LO TAK-SHING: Thank you. MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to confirm, first, that decantation is not compulsory, secondly, many families do not wish to have their lives disrupted by moving into new areas because of schooling of children, work places and so on? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, I confirm that on both counts without any doubt. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 43 (5) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question: (a) When are applications for empty rooms for internal decantation to recommence? (b) Is it correct that Resettlement Officers have been informed, but ward councillors have not? (c) Could the Commissioner assist in the efficiency of ward work by keeping the Council informed of such changes, now that they are not permitted to discuss policy in meetings as in the past? MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows: There has apparently been some confusion. As long ago as January 1970, Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee agreed that tenants seeking more space in their present estate should apply only when applications are invited by the estate office. The agreed procedure is that Ward Councillors are sent a copy of every notice inviting applications, to help them in dealing with their ward clients. There was a temporary suspension of notices during February, March and April. While I am sorry that Ward Councillors were not specifically told of this suspension, there would have been no confusion if tenants enquiring at ward offices had simply been informed that they must wait until vacant rooms are advertised. The temporary suspension is now over and notices inviting applications for rooms available for internal decantation issued on 1st May and this is the first such notice since 3rd January. As to the second part of the question, I hope that by now all Ward Councillors will have received their copy of the notice issued on 1st May. As to the third part of the question, there has certainly been a change in the policy governing the allocation of vacant rooms in closed estates, but this change of policy was fully discussed and approved by Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee on 26th January this year. This policy change required a review of the departmental working instructions which took some time to prepare; in any case to have offered rooms under the old basis in the intervening period from February to April would have substantially delayed the Page 31 of 206

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Page 31 of 206 42 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. CHAN: Mr. Chairman, I will try to answer both questions in the same way through my experience as a Ward Councillor. Some- times we do try to get resettlement officers to come along on ward nights and explain the position. They first establish the number of families at a density of 17 sq. ft. and, it all apply there would be enough to fill vacancies. But quite a lot of people, although they are crowded, do not want to apply for larger accommodation. So the standard is raised to 20 sq. ft. but even up to 20 some people do not apply and then we have to raise it again and allocate to people who already have better accommodation. However, I will try to see that we work with the Resettlement Department to deal with this quicker, but all this raising is to safeguard those people who are at a lower density and who would not have a chance while people have the higher density. MR. BERNACCHI:-By way of a correction, the qualifying density for internal decantation varies from estate to estate. MR. LO TAK-SHING:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification. The Chairman just now did say, did he not, that really if everybody had taken it up then we would just about fill all the places. This means, of course, correct me if I am wrong, that only one-seventh of the people living at a density of 17 sq. ft. or worse have taken up these places. MR. CHAN:Only one in seven bothered to apply. If Mr. Lo would go to Shek Kip Mei estate, you know quite a lot of the tenants occupy only 45 sq. ft., half a D room, with 5 in the family, but they do not want to leave the room. Even some of the charitable organiza- tions offered them cash since. MR. LO TAK-SHING:-Mr. Chairman, is that affirmative confirma- tion of the one-seventh? CHAIRMAN: Yes. MR. LO TAK-SHING: -Thank you. MR. SALES-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to confirm, first, that decantation is not compulsory, secondly, many families do not wish to have their lives disrupted by moving into new areas because of schooling of children, work places and so on? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, I confirm that on both counts without any doubt. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 43 (5) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question: (a) When are applications for empty rooms for internal decantation to recommence? (b) Is it correct that Resettlement Officers have been informed, but ward councillors have not? (c) Could the Commissioner assist in the efficiency of ward work by keeping the Council informed of such changes, now that they are not permitted to discuss policy in meetings as in the past? MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:- There has apparently been some confusion. As long ago as January 1970, Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee agreed that tenants seeking more space in their present estate should apply only when applica- tions are invited by the estate office. The agreed pro- cedure is that Ward Councillors are sent a copy of every notice inviting applications, to help them in dealing with their ward clients. There was a temporary suspension of notices during February, March and April. While I am sorry that Ward Councillors were not specifically told of this suspension, there would have been no confusion if tenants enquiring at ward offices had simply been in- formed that they must wait until vacant rooms are advertised. The temporary suspension is now over and notices inviting applications for rooms available for internal decantation issued on 1st May and this is the first such notice since 3rd January. As to the second part of the question, I hope that by now all Ward Councillors will have received their copy of the notice issued on 1st May. As to the third part of the question, there has certainly been a change in the policy governing the allocation of vacant rooms in closed estates, but this change of policy was fully discussed and approved by Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee on 26th January this year. This policy change required a review of the departmental working instructions which took some time to prepare; in any case to have offered rooms under the old basis in the intervening period from February to April would have substantially delayed the

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Page 31 of 206

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHAN: Mr. Chairman, I will try to answer both questions in the same way through my experience as a Ward Councillor. Some- times we do try to get resettlement officers to come along on ward nights and explain the position. They first establish the number of families at a density of 17 sq. ft. and, it all apply there would be enough to fill vacancies. But quite a lot of people, although they are crowded, do not want to apply for larger accommodation. So the standard is raised to 20 sq. ft. but even up to 20 some people do not apply and then we have to raise it again and allocate to people who already have better accommodation. However, I will try to see that we work with the Resettlement Department to deal with this quicker, but all this raising is to safeguard those people who are at a lower density and who would not have a chance while people have the higher density.

MR. BERNACCHI:-By way of a correction, the qualifying density for internal decantation varies from estate to estate.

MR. LO TAK-SHING:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification. The Chairman just now did say, did he not, that really if everybody had taken it up then we would just about fill all the places. This means, of course, correct me if I am wrong, that only one-seventh of the people living at a density of 17 sq. ft. or worse have taken up these places.

MR. CHAN:Only one in seven bothered to apply. If Mr. Lo would go to Shek Kip Mei estate, you know quite a lot of the tenants occupy only 45 sq. ft., half a D room, with 5 in the family, but they do not want to leave the room. Even some of the charitable organiza- tions offered them cash since.

MR. LO TAK-SHING:-Mr. Chairman, is that affirmative confirma- tion of the one-seventh?

CHAIRMAN: Yes.

MR. LO TAK-SHING: -Thank you.

MR. SALES-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to confirm, first, that decantation is not compulsory, secondly, many families do not wish to have their lives disrupted by moving into new areas because of schooling of children, work places and so on?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, I confirm that on both counts without any doubt.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

(5) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:

(a) When are applications for empty rooms for internal

decantation to recommence?

(b) Is it correct that Resettlement Officers have been informed,

but ward councillors have not?

(c) Could the Commissioner assist in the efficiency of ward work by keeping the Council informed of such changes, now that they are not permitted to discuss policy in meetings as in the past?

MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-

There has apparently been some confusion. As long ago as January 1970, Members of the Resettlement Management Select Committee agreed that tenants seeking more space in their present estate should apply only when applica- tions are invited by the estate office. The agreed pro- cedure is that Ward Councillors are sent a copy of every notice inviting applications, to help them in dealing with their ward clients. There was a temporary suspension of notices during February, March and April. While I am sorry that Ward Councillors were not specifically told of this suspension, there would have been no confusion if tenants enquiring at ward offices had simply been in- formed that they must wait until vacant rooms are advertised.

The temporary suspension is now over and notices inviting applications for rooms available for internal decantation issued on 1st May and this is the first such notice since 3rd January.

As to the second part of the question, I hope that by now all Ward Councillors will have received their copy of the notice issued on 1st May.

1972 — Page 31

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