Provisional Legislative
Council Panels ' meetings
on 24 July 1997

(a) Joint meeting of Housing and Planning,
Lands and Works Panels
(b) Meeting of the Housing Panel

Issues raised by members requiring written response by
the Administration

Land supply for the next five years

1.The Land Disposal Programme released by the Administration contains the estimated flat production from land to be provided between July 1997 and March 2002, but does not reflect the lead time of at least three years for construction of flats. What is the breakdown of the annual number of flats which will be completed between now and 2004/05?

2.To enable members to assess if the forecast of flat supply in the Land Disposal Programme is realistic and to compare like with like, to provide a detailed list on the lead time taken for construction of flats in the past three years setting out the time taken for complying with requirements by different departments from the planning, transport, infrastructure, environment and other angles, and to provide a forecast of the lead time in the future.

3.The Administration ' s forecast on the supply of flats over the eight-year period between 1997/98 and 2004/05 is 757,000, but flats to be generated from sale of Government land between July 1997 and March 2002 will only be 146,000. Please provide details to reconcile the differences so as to assure members that sufficient land will be provided for housing production purposes. This should include lease modifications and flats to be produced from land banks currently in the hands of developers; such information should be available as Government should already be processing applications for development from some developers. The Housing Bureau should also confirm that land so provided will tie in with their housing production target.

Pledge for annual provision of 85,000 flats

4.To advise the basis for the annual flat production target of 85,000 as the Chief Executive must have some basis from the Administration before he makes the pledge. Also to provide an analysis on how the annual target can be realistically achieved including for example the amount of land to be provided and efforts to be made for overcoming difficulties.

5.In connection with the Administration ' s advice that flats to be produced in 1997/98 and 1998/99 will not meet the annual target of 85,000 on account of the quantity of land approved in the last few years, what is the actual number of flats to be produced in these two years since these should already be under construction? Also to advise the annual production target for the remainder of the ten-year period taking into account the availability of land supply, manpower and other resources.

6.In view of slippages in the housing production target in the past five years for public rental housing, subsidized housing as well as private sector flats, to provide details on the original targets and how far these were achieved for each of the five years together with the reasons for the slippages; and to advise how the deficiencies will be made up for in the coming five years.

7.In connection with a statement made by a former ExCo member that there is enough land in the hands of major developers to provide 25,000 units for a million people, to advise if the Administration is aware of the basis for this estimate and to advise the quantity and current position of such lands pending development including farmland.

8.To provide details of the housing demand model which forms the basis of the annual housing demand of 80,000 as contained in the Consultative Document on Long Term Housing Strategy Review, and to advise the annual target for production of public rental, subsidized and private sector flats in the coming years.

Rent increase for residential units in public rental housing estates

9.To provide the basis and formula for calculation of the median rent-to-income ratio (MRIR) used by the Housing Authority.

Post-meeting questions from Hon Mrs Selina CHOW

10.What is the definition of commercial/residential?

11.Can the area of land designated for low density residential purposes be re-designated as high density residential areas?

Provisional Legislative Council Secretariat
25 July 1997