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DRAFT SPEECH BY HON CHENG HON KWAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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29 OCTOBER 1986
Adjournment Debate on the "Report of the Committee on Housing Subsidy to Tenants of Public Housing" and the "Report of the
Domestic Rent Policy Review Committee"
Sir,
In general, I support the principle and spirit of the Green Paper on Housing Subsidy. I am also pleased
pleased that the
Committee on Housing Subsidy has now presented the revised
recommendations on the courses of action to reduce housing
subsidies to those public housing tenants who are no longer in need of them. These revised recommendations which have taken
public views into consideration have my full support.
There has been a heated debate in the public on whether public housing should be run as a social service or a social welfare. Although the distinction between "social service" and
"social welfare"
welfare" is not clear-cut as noted by the Committee, I hesitate to acknowledge the argument that public housing should be a social welfare which in my opinion is not available to the people who are not public housing tenants. Substantial subsidization is obviously against the principle of fairness. I am saying this entirely in the interests of the general public as
a whole.
Housing Authority is sufficiently generous to rule out
the eviction of those
those tenants who have improved their financial situation, on account of the likely disruption to the community; and I agree with the Committee's view that subsidized housing should not be life-long entitlement at
a
general public.
the
expense
of
the
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