Introduction - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

determination to grasp the nettle and to work out a positive planfor actually containing, if not resolving this problem. InChapter 4, this Office has highlighted resource constraint as oneof the major problems attributing to the proliferation andaggravation of UBW in NTEH. This Office appreciates that theAdministration allocate resources basically in accordance withthe relative priorities given to the many calls upon them and theviews of the community. It is therefore a question of whether theenforcement against UBW in NTEH should be accorded a higherpriority in the light of changing circumstances as brieflydescribed in para. 5.2. If after review, the Administrationconcedes that lease enforcement against UBW should be accordeda higher priority, serious consideration should then be given toallocating or redeploying the appropriate resources toenable the concerned departments to more effectively andproactively deal with the problem. Resource constraintapart, this Office still maintains the view that there shouldbe a firm commitment and determination on the part of theGovernment to work out a positive plan to tackle the problems ofUBW.5.4 This Office observes that some owners of NTEH may beignorant of the restrictions placed on the exempted houses butmany of them are aware of them but choose to ignore them wheneverit suits their purposes. The IOs had accompanied LeaseEnforcement Teams on inspection duties on two occasions andwitnessed that some UBW on roof-tops in one village were erectedin such a way that they were barely visible at street level.They were painted in the same colour and built to the same heightas the adjoining stairhood that made their detection verydifficult. • Another case of blatant disregard of the leaserestrictions was a development in Yuen Long in which each of theexempt"houses therein was internally subdivided into 14 units,each with separate water and power meters and entrances, some ofwhich via unauthorized external staircases. Although the ownersclaimed that each unit was only a self-contained -suite, the factthat each unit was provided with a separate entrance proved thatthey were purposely designed and built to facilitate separateownership or tenancy. No Letter of Compliance was issued to thisdevelopment, which was obviously a case of non-compliance fromthe start.5.5 Under the current legislation, there is a lack ofsuitable deterrent measures that Lands D can take to preventviolation of the restrictions on the NTEH. As re-entry/vestingaction is too drastic a measure to be frequently employed, theworst scenario for the owners of UBW which are not too seriousor dangerous may be the demolition of the latter. By doing so,Government has to devote a great deal of resources to constantlymonitor, control and rectify the situation. This Office is ofthe view that in order to discourage the proliferation of UBW inthe^ interest of the public, the Lands D should be able toadminister suitable punitive measures to deter offenders,particularly the defiant and/or repeated offenders, in very much- 24 -