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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1978
THIS WAS SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. ALAN SCOTT, WHO WAS SPEAKING IN THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE.
COMMENTING ON ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD BY TWO UNOFF IC FAL
MEMBERS, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN AND THE HON. WONG LAM, FOR CONSIDERATION FOR PEOPLE ABOVE INCOME LIMITS FOR RENTED PUBLIC HOUSING OR THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, MR. SCOTT SAID +UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT TAKE ON ALL DESIRABLE OBJECTIVES SIMULTANEOUSLY AND PRIORITIES HAVE TO BE ESTABLISHED, BOTH WITHIN THE PROGRAMME UNDER DISCUSSION, IN THIS CASE HOUSING, AND AS BETWEEN OTHER MAJOR PROGRAMMES.
*THE FIRST PRIORITY HAS FOR MANY YEARS BEEN THE PROVISION OF SUBSIDISED RENTED HOUSING FOR THE LOWEST INCOME GROUP, AND IT MUST SO CONTINUE.
+THE SECOND, RELATIVELY NEW PRIORITY, IS THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.
+WE CANNOT, FOR THE PRESENT, CONSIDER EXTENDING THESE PRIORITIES.+
HOWEVER, HE SAID, THE AUTHORITY WOULD BE ALERT TO THE NEED FOR EXPANSION OF THE HOME OWNERSHIP SHCEME AND TO THE RELATIVE BALANCE IN PROVIDING RENTED AND HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS,
ON MR. WONG LAM'S POINT THAT SOME FAMILIES ON THE WAITING LIST ARE OVER THE INCOME LIMIT WHEN THE IR NUMBERS FINALLY COME UP, MR. SCOTT SAID: THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING, BUT WE HAVE TO DETERMINE INCOME CRITERIA AND STAND BY THEM IN ORDER THAT THOSE IN GREATEST NEED RECEIVE FIRST ATTENTION, UNTIL IT IS POSSIBLE TO EXTEND OR VARY THE PRIORITIES.
+RAISING THE INCOME LIMIT INCREASES THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS AND MEANS THAT PEOPLE INSIDE THE LIMIT HAVE TO WAIT LONGER WHILE PEOPLE WITH HIGHER INCOMES ARE, AS IT WERE, BROUGHT BACK INTO THE QUEUE.+
HE SAID THAT SINCE 1963, AS A RESULT OF REGULAR REVIEWS, THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED INCOME" HAD INCREASED AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, AND THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL WAGES.
AS A RESULT, THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS HAD GONE UP FROM 89,000 IN 1973 TO 223,000 IN 1976.
CONCERNING STAFFING ON ESTATES, MR. SCOTT SAID THE AUTHOR ITY HAD INCREASED STAFF ON FORMER RESETTLEMENT ESTATES TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF MANAGEMENT. ITS GENERAL POLICY WAS TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN SATISFACTORY MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS AS AGAINST EFFICIENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED TO DO THE JOB.
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