§ 47 Sir JOHN WARDLAW-MILNEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether, under the proposed Foreshore and Sea-bed Works Ordinance, the Government of Hong Kong contemplate carrying out any schemes of reclamation; if so, what is the nature of such schemes and where is it proposed to carry them out; and whether the marine lot-holders who will be affected thereby will be entitled to the benefit of any such reclamations upon similar terms to those upon which reclamations have been carried out in the past;
(2) whether, under the proposed Foreshore and Sea-bed Works Ordinance, the Government of Hong Kong contemplate carrying out any works in the harbour of the Colony comprising the construction by the Government of warehouses for any purposes, and, if so, what is the nature of such works; where is it proposed to carry them out; and for what purposes are such warehouses to be used; and
(3) whether, under the proposed Foreshore and Sea-bed Works Ordinance, the Government of Hong Kong contemplate carrying out any works in the harbour of the Colony or establishing any transport services in the harbour which are likely to interfere substantially with the marine rights or facilities of any of the existing marine lot-holders or with any existing transport services; and, if so, what is the nature of such works or services?
§ Sir VICTOR WARRENDER (Vice-Chamberlain of the Household)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies has not yet received from the Governor of Hong Kong any detailed proposals for works to be executed under the provisions of the Ordinance, but the Governor has explained that, in a Colony of the geographical formation of Hong Kong, there are many schemes, such for example as approaches to vehicle and passenger ferries, which render a general Bill of this nature essential to the proper planning and development of the Colony. The Secretary of State's prior approval would be required before any important scheme involving the expenditure of public money could be initiated.
§ Sir J. WARDLAW-MILNEMay I ask whether he will represent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the undesirability of putting in a public Bill a Clause which gives such immense right for the extinguishing of private enterprise and private marine rights in the whole colony of Hong Kong and the desirability of proceeding as in the past by means of special Orders, instead of making an example that might be followed to the detriment of British trade by the Chinese authorities?