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test for squatters on clearance. The policy has been that, as clearance is compulsory and cannot be delayed, resettlement should be offered to all those affected, whatever their financial status. As a result some of the families resettled have been comparatively well off. Other families that were poor at the time of clearance have since become richer and yet continue to occupy resettlement flats. I agree that it is clearly wrong in principle that these families should continue to enjoy subsidized accommodation indefinitely at the taxpayer's expense as they have no real claim to such assistance. But it would require a massive means test to determine which were the families to be dealt with; and this operation would have to be repeated at regular intervals. Extreme cases would be easy enough to detect. But I can visualize the avalanche of petitions that would be presented by those adjudged to be just on the wrong side of the limit, wherever the limit was fixed.
Mr. Lo also referred to the need to improve living standards in the older estates and touched on some of the difficulties involved in a major reconversion scheme. As Members are aware all rooms in Mark III and IV blocks have now been provided with their own private water supply; and work is well advanced on a pilot scheme to convert a Mark I block to the standard of the latest estates, with each room having its own running water and lavatory and with the larger rooms provided with a kitchen as well. We are currently examining various possibilities for the improvement of both facilities and densities in the older estates generally. But the basic difficulty remains of providing alternative accommodation for the many families that must be displaced and any scheme of this sort must include some degree of compulsory movement of families.
Mr. Hu complained that resettlement policy is too strict and should be liberalized. He has asked that the whole policy should be reviewed. As he is aware the categories of persons eligible for resettlement are periodically reviewed and I shall be glad to invite the Resettlement Select Committees to re-examine the position. Mr. Hu also suggested that the criteria for compassionate resettlement should be relaxed. This raises fairly broad issues which it would be more appropriate to consider in the light of the forthcoming Public Assistance Scheme. Meanwhile, may I say again that resettlement is not the only form of public housing and that any family in housing need can apply direct to the Housing Authority or to the Hong Kong Housing Society for accommodation.
Mr. LOBO in fact suggests that the word "resettlement" should be done away with altogether. I have not previously heard any specific complaints from tenants that it is a derogatory term; but I do know that there is some confusion among the public as to the distinction between resettlement and other forms of assisted housing. Speaking for myself, I should be glad to see the word discontinued. To abolish the principle of resettlement would however be a major change in policy which would need very careful consideration.
Mr. Chairman, I have referred to some of the difficulties in the proposals that have been made, but I do not want to suggest that they should therefore be rejected out of hand. We are now engaged in taking stock of the position and re-examining our plans for the future and the ideas that have been put forward in this debate have provided a useful contribution to this exercise. (Applause).
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DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: Sir, during the course of this debate, a number of Members have referred to matters in the field of social welfare. These matters are, as Members appreciate, outside the province of this Council; nevertheless, I will do my best to answer them.
Mr. LOBO refers to the employment of the physically handicapped in commerce and industry and says "One may ask what is the Social Welfare Department doing to find jobs for over 14,000 registered disabled persons?". The question mis-states the problem. It is true that there are registers of about 14,000 disabled persons, but these are not registers of persons seeking employment. They are simply registers of different categories of disabled; they include the physically disabled and the mentally retarded, the young and the old, those employed and those incapable of employment. But to answer the broad terms of his question, the Social Welfare Department provides facilities for assessment of disability, for vocational training and job training, and for placement in commerce and industry. These facilities are fully described in the Department's Annual Report. Placement is the responsibility of the Department's Liaison and Placement Unit and, in the financial year 1968-69, out of 355 disabled persons trained and available for employment jobs were found for 297. Measures have been taken recently to strengthen this Unit, and I hope that it will be able to achieve still better results in the future. But successful placement does require the positive co-operation of commerce and industry, and I am grateful to Mr. LOBO for drawing attention to this question. If there are any employers who have any doubts as to what the disabled can do, I should be glad to invite them to one of the rehabilitation centres to see for themselves. Alternatively, they can refer to Dr. CHUANG, President of the Chinese Manufacturers Association, who visited the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre with a group of his colleagues earlier this month, and was I think suitably impressed.
Mr. LOBO also refers to the number of aged persons in the population, and to the anticipated increase in that number, and asks "What is being done to meet this problem?". I hope he is not implying that age itself constitutes a problem, because if so it is a problem we must all face and meet in our own way. A social welfare
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