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Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
Question:
Quite a number of owners of the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) flats have relayed to me that wiring faults and short circuits often occurred in their flats. However, when they had repair works carried out at their own expenses, they found that the wires and fuses in the meter rooms on their floors for supplying electricity to rental and sold units were of different specifications. They are worried that such situation will increase the risk of short circuits. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of units sold under TPS so far since its launch;
(2) whether, in the past five years, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) examined the risk of the wires and fuses in the meter rooms in housing blocks of TPS estates having different specifications causing short circuits, and whether HA received reports or complaints about related incidents; if so, how HA handled such cases;
(3) given that HA provides a seven-year Structural Safety Guarantee for newly sold TPS units, whether the guarantee covers inspection and early replacement of power supply systems and related components; if not, how HA differentiates whether itself or the owners concerned should be held responsible for the repair works in the event of failures of the power supply systems for such units; whether TPS flat owners who purchased the flats at different time receive differential treatment in respect of the repair and maintenance of such systems; if so, of the details;
(4) of the list of TPS estates for which HA carried out, in the past three years, large-scale inspections and repairs of the power supply systems, as well as the number of housing blocks involved, the scope of the repair works and the amount of expenditure incurred; whether, under the existing policy, HA is responsible for carrying out such repair works for TPS estates with rental units; if so, of HA's maximum level of commitment for the costs of the works; and
(5) whether HA has regularly provided owners' corporations of TPS estates and owners of the sold TPS flats with a procurement list of spare parts for power supply systems to ensure that wires and fuses used in the same housing block are of the same specifications; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) introduced the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) in 1998, with a total of 39 estates included in the scheme in phases. Currently all the 39 TPS estates (Phase 1 to Phase 6B) have formed Incorporated Owners (IOs) and have employed property management companies to carry out the management and maintenance works of the estates. In this respect, TPS estates and private developments are of no difference. IOs and the property management companies of TPS estates are responsible for the daily management and maintenance works of the estates in accordance with the Building Management Ordinance, the Government Leases and the Deeds of Mutual Covenant.
My replies to the various parts of the question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu are as follows:
(1) As at April 30, 2015, about 130 000 TPS flats have been sold by HA.
(2) In accordance with the Electricity Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, the repair and maintenance of electrical installations to prevent electrical accidents is the responsibility of the owners of electrical installations. IOs or the property management companies appointed by the IOs are therefore responsible for the management, repair and maintenance of the communal electrical installations in TPS estates. HA has no right to inspect the electrical installations and the condition in the meter rooms of TPS estates.
In the past five years, HA has not received reports or complaints about electrical cables and fuses in the meter rooms in TPS estates having different specifications. However, should HA receive such reports or complaints, it would relay them to the property management company of the TPS estate concerned and request it to investigate and follow up on such reports or complaints.
(3) HA has provided a seven-year Structural Safety Guarantee for TPS estates. During the guarantee period, HA is responsible for all structural repair and maintenance works relating to structural components such as columns, beams, walls and floor slabs, including repair works for spalling and cracking, in order to ensure the overall structural safety of the buildings. Besides, HA has also made a one-off injection equivalent to $14,000 per residential unit to the Maintenance Fund for each TPS estate to meet the expenses of post-sale maintenance works. Moreover, HA has carried out comprehensive investigation and completed all necessary maintenance and repair works prior to the sale of individual TPS estates. Also, if a tenant reports that any installation in his/her flat is defective before purchasing the flat, HA will carry out the final one-off repair for that flat. All flats under the TPS are therefore sold in good condition.
As mentioned above, in accordance with the Electricity Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, the repair and maintenance of electrical installations is the responsibility of the owners of electrical installations. For sold flats, flat owners shall therefore be responsible for the installations in their flats and their electrical installations in the meter rooms. HA, as the owner of unsold flats, is responsible for the maintenance and repair of electrical installations provided in these flats. The maintenance and repair works of the communal electrical installations in TPS estates shall be done by the IOs or the property management companies concerned.
All the electrical installations provided by HA in TPS estates are in compliance with the then prevailing safety standards and specifications during the time of construction. Since the completion dates of estates were different, the specifications of installations for these estates might also be different. However, in respect of the repair and maintenance arrangements of electrical installations, the treatment for TPS flat owners who purchased the flats at different times is the same.
(4) As mentioned above, as IOs or the property management companies concerned are responsible for all the maintenance and repair works of the communal electrical installations in TPS estates, HA does not carry out the said maintenance and repair works for TPS estates.
HA, as the owner of the unsold flats in TPS estates, will carry out regular sampling inspections on the electrical installations, and implement the "Rewiring inside Domestic Flats" programme to enhance the standard of fixed electrical installations inside these flats at an appropriate time. This is in line with the arrangements of other public rental housing estates under HA's management.
(5) In accordance with the Electricity Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, the owners of electrical installations shall employ Registered Electrical Contractors to carry out the maintenance and repair works of the electrical installations. The repair, addition or alteration of electrical installations shall comply with the safety specifications stipulated in the Electricity Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations. HA has neither compiled nor provided any particular procurement list of spare parts for electrical installations for IOs or flat owners of TPS estates. However, HA has provided the IO of every TPS estate with "Guidelines for Property Management and Maintenance" which include practical suggestions on the maintenance of electrical installations for their reference.
Ends/Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Issued at HKT 13:00
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