Following is a question by the Hon Tam Heung-man and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (June 22):
Question:
It has been reported that a real estate developer has applied for judicial review, requesting the court to reverse the Lands Department's decision to reject the renewal of a land lease which will expire in 2012. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of land lots the existing leases of which were not extended by the Lands Department and which were allocated through open competition in the past five years and, among these, the number of the existing lessees concerned who applied for judicial review in this regard;
(b) of the estimated number of land lots which are subject to lease renewal or allocation through open competition upon expiry of the leases in the coming ten years and, among them, the number of land lots which will be allocated through open competition; and
(c) whether it will change the existing land policy by putting up all the land whose leases have expired for bidding or tendering again in an open and competitive manner?
Reply:
Madam President,
The Government has no comment on the case referred to in the question as it is now under judicial review. My reply to the three-part question is as follows:
(a) In the past five years, seven petrol filling station sites had been disposed of by public tender, after the leases in question had expired. The lessees in question had not applied for judicial review.
(b) As lessees usually indicate whether they would apply for extension of their non-renewable leases about two years before the expiry of their leases, and the Government has to consider the applications on their own merits, no estimates can be made at this stage.
(c) Under the existing policy on extension of non-renewable leases, such cases would be dealt with at the sole discretion of the Government under the circumstances prevailing at the time.
Ends/Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Issued at HKT 13:34
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