(Translation)
(Letterhead of Secretariat of Legislative Councillors
& Research Centre of the Democratic Party)

30 October 1996

Mrs Vivian KAM
Chief Assistant Secretary (1)2
LegCo Secretariat

Dear Mrs KAM,

In preparation for the meeting of the Subcommittee on Long Term Housing Strategy Review under the Panel on Housing to be held on 26 November 1996, I would like to raise the following questions. Please convey them to the Housing Branch and urge for an early written reply.

  1. The building density of public housing is regulated by the ratio of development while that of private housing is regulated by plot ratio. Please explain the difference between these two concepts.

  2. In response to my question raised on behalf of the Panel on Housing on 23 July 1996, the Government states that the plot ratio for a certain area is set on the basis of such factors as the environmental, traffic and infrastructural conditions of a particular area. What is the size of "a particular area"? Please illustrate with a few examples. Besides, what is the basis used for setting the ratio of public housing development?

  3. Please provide a breakdown in tabular form of the approved development ratio and actual development ratio of public housing produced by the Housing Authority (HA) in the past five years. Please also explain in detail the reason for any discrepancy of 20% or above between the actual and approved development ratios of completed housing units.

  4. How many forms of design are available for public housing produced by the HA at present? Please specify and illustrate with diagrams the respective forms of design for different types of housing such as public rental housing, Home Ownership Scheme flats and housing for the elderly, etc.

  5. At present, there are more than 30 storeys in most of the new housing blocks under the HA. Will the HA consider building housing blocks with a larger number of storeys? What will be the resources involved and the average cost for each housing unit when compared with the existing ones?

  6. Which Government departments are involved in the planning of housing production? Please provide in tabular form the time spent in approving and assessing housing projects after sites have been identified (from the planning stage to the completion of the projects) by each of the Government department involved in each housing project undertaken by the HA in the past two years.

  7. Please provide in tabular form the working procedures and the time required for each working procedure in the construction of public and private housing (from site formation to the completion of the projects).

(signed)
LAM Pui-yee
for Hon LEE Wing-tat
Chairman, LegCo Panel on Housing

(Translation)
(Letterhead of Secretariat of Legislative Councillors & Research Centre
of the Democratic Party)

15 November 1996
Mrs. Vivian KAM
Chief Assistant Secretary (1)2
|LegCo Secretariat

Dear Mrs. Kam,

In preparation for the meeting of the Subcommittee on Long Term Housing Strategy Review under the LegCo Panel on Housing to be held on 26 November 1996, I would like to raise the following supplementary questions. Please convey them to the Housing Branch and urge for an early written reply.

  1. Please provide in tabular form the housing production projects of which construction had yet to commence two years after land was granted by the Government to the Housing Authority in the past five years and the reasons thereof, as well as the lead time from land disposal to commencement of construction.

  2. Developers applying to the Town Planning Board (TPB) for use of land as comprehensive redevelopment area and change of land use are required to complete their projects within a specified period of time. Under what circumstances could they seek permission from the TPB for deferring the completion date of such projects? On what principles would the TPB give approval to such requests? Please list the number of cases in which approval was granted by the TPB for deferring the completion date of construction projects over the last year and the reasons thereof.

(signed)
LAM Pui-yee
for Hon LEE Wing-tat
Chairman, LegCo Panel on Housing

Last Updated on 20 August 1998