Secretary for Development Carrie Lam has called for law amendments authorizing Building Department inspectors to obtain court warrants to enter subdivided flats.

She issued that call in response to lawmakers' calls for tougher law enforcement to tackle the growing problem of subdivided residential flats.

Altered flats cause drainage and seepage problems. But when there is a large number of small units within existing standard units, there is extreme danger of residents becoming trapped in narrow passage ways when fires break out.

However, Lam told lawmakers the Buildings Department has been rendered virtually helpless.

If the inspectors try to gain entry into suspected subdivided flats, they are often refused entry by the owners or tenants.

Monday's discussion by the Legislative Council Panel on Development followed the fatal fire last week in a Ma Tau Wai Road building.

That building contained many sub-divided units. The fire claimed four lives and injured 20 people.

Lawmakers from across the spectrum urged the government to tackle the issue, which is getting more serious and is spreading from older districts into newer ones.

The Democratic Party's Lee Wing-tat said high property prices and rents have driven the increase of subdivided units.

In the meantime, Lee added, owners get more money renting out sub-divided units than they do from renting out the flats to single tenants.

More stringent law enforcement by the Buildings Department and Fire Services Department is needed, as he noted that there was no follow-up action against many buildings in Ma Tau Wai Road which have been served with removal orders to remove illegal structures.

Starry Lee, from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, described subdivided flats as a "bomb" that may explode time and time again.

She suggested Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang lead an interdepartmental team to tackle the problem.

Lam responded that subdivision works are also a social problem, because the government needs to resettle residents who are displaced as the government deals with the problem.

Except for imminent hazard, building inspectors are not authorized to enter buildings to check if there are unauthorized alterations, while owners and tenants are usually uncooperative, said Lam.

She said the government will monitor subdivided units by incorporating them into control of minor works, such as installation of solid partitions and thickening of floor slabs.

They will not be eliminated as that may affect the housing supply for the grassroots.

Accordingly, she proposed law amendments to empower inspectors to enter the buildings with court warrants.

She also proposed that heavier fines be assessed by the courts in case of violations.

China Daily

(HK Edition 06/21/2011 page1)