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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1978
HOUSING AUTHORITY APPOINTS ITS OWN AUDITORS
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THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. ALAN SCOTT, SAID TODAY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY APPOINTED ITS OWN AUDITORS UNDER THE HOUSING ORDINANCE AND REVIEWED THE APPOINTMENT ANNUALLY.
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. WONG LAM, WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD AGREE THAT THE ACCOUNTS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SHOULD BE AUDITED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT IN VIEW OF THE VERY HEAVY EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC HOUSING.
MR. SCOTT SAID IT WAS THE CASE THAT VERY LARGE SUMS OF MONEY WERE ALLOCATED TO THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC HOUSING BUT A PRIVATE FIRM OF ACCOUNTANTS HAD CARRIED OUT THE AUDIT TASK SINCE 1954 TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE AUTHORITY.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE ACCOUNTS OF THE AUTHORITY ARE TABLED ANNUALLY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
NURSERY IN HOUSING ESTATES
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IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXISTING POLICY OF PROVIDING 1,000 MORE SUBVENTED NURSERY PLACES EACH YEAR, SUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATION MAINLY IN NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS HAVE BEEN EARMARKED TO MEET REQUIREMENTS IN 1978/79, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, THE HON. THOMAS LEE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. KWAN KO SIU-WAH,
MR. LEE SAID THAT THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS OF THESE NEW ESTATES WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR USING SUBVENTED SERVICES WOULD HAVE THE SAME CHANCES OF GETTING THEIR CHILDREN INTO SUBVENTED PLACES AS THOSE IN EXISTING HOUSING ESTATES IN WHICH MOST OF THESE NURSERIES WERE LOCATED.
ENFORCEMENT OF REGULATIONS ON NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN EACH CLASS
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THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS SO FAR AS IS PRACTICAL CONCERNING THE PERMISSIBLE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN EACH CLASS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY IN THOSE CLASSES WITH BOUGHT PLACES.
THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID THIS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM REV. THE HON. JOYCE M. BENNETT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
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