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DEPARTMENT TRYING TO BLOCK HOUSING TO NEW ARRIVALS
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THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING WAYS OF PREVENTING LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM BEING ACCOMMODATED IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. DONALD P.H. LIAO, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN ASKED +WILL THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER INTRODUCING MEASURES TO PREVENT LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEING ACCOMMODATED IN PUBLIC HOUSING AT LEAST UNTIL THEY HAVE RESIDED IN HONG KONG FOR SEVEN YEARS OR MORE?+
MR. LIAO SAID MOST PEOPLE ENTERING NEW PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING HAD AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS' RESIDENCE IN HONG KONG.
+THERE ARE, HOWEVER, WAYS IN WHICH NEW ARRIVALS MAY GAIN ENTRY TO PUBLIC HOUSING, AND, OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY AWARE THAT THIS IS OCCURRING IN A FEW INSTANCES, HE SAID.
+AS A RESULT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY CONSIDER ING MEANS BY WHICH THESE QUEUE JUMPERS MAY BE HELD BACK, SO THAT THEY DO NOT SECURE PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING IN ADVANCE OF FAMILIES OF LONGER RESIDENCE IN HONG KONG,+
MR. LIAO SAID HE WAS SURE MEMBERS AGREED THIS WAS A MATTER OF GENERAL CONCERN PARTICULARLY TO THOSE WHOSE PATIENCE IS ALREADY BEING SORELY TESTED BY THE LONG WAIT BETWEEN APPLICATION AND ALLOCATION.+
NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS TO BE DOUBLED
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THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF FACTORY INSPECTORS IN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF INSPECTIONS OF CONSTRUCTION SITES, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TOLD TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. JOHN CHAMBERS, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON, WONG LAM, SAID INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WERE, HOWEVER, NOT THE COMPLETE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT BOTH BUILDING CONTRACTORS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES SHOULD BECOME MORE SAFETY-CONSCIOUS IF THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WAS TO BE REDUCED.
MR. CHAMBERS SAID AT PRESENT 18 FACTORY INSPECTORS VISIT CONSTRUCTION SITES TO ENSURE THAT BUILDING CONTRACTORS ARE AWARE OF AND CARRY OUT THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS.
ON AVERAGE THREE OR FOUR VISITS ARE MADE TO EACH SITE EVERY YEAR AND PROSECUTIONS ARE UNDERTAKEN IN APPROPRIATE CASES.
/+THE LABOUR
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