THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1980
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THE IR STANDARDS AND PAY LEVELS, HE SAID, SHOULD BE CONSISTENTLY REVIEWED SO THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ADEQUATELY REWARDED FOR THE GOOD WORK THEY HAD DONE.
ON THE GREEN PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, DR HU CONSIDERED NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE A MAJOR RE-THINK ON THE PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG +BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF MAINLAND PEOPLE, THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE GROWING COMPLEXITY IN ADMINISTERING THE DISTRICTS FROM A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BODY+.
*THE SETTING UP OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE URBAN COUNCIL'S WORK BECAUSE SEATS WILL BE RESERVED FOR URBAN COUNCIL MEMBERS ON EACH DISTRICT BOARD AND THIS WOULD ENHANCE THE LIAISON AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LOCAL NEEDS AND THE URBAN COUNCIL'S WORK, HE SAID.
THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARDS AND THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION, HE ADDED.
DR HU ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE VOTING AGE SHOULD BE LOWERED TO 18 YEARS AND THAT THE USAGE OF CHINESE SHOULD BE EMPHASISED IN DISTRICT BOARDS.
+THIS IS BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION MAY OTHERWISE HAVE LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES, + HE SAID.
CONCERN FOR PLIGHT OF OLD SINGLE PEOPLE
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THE DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS OF ELDERLY SINGLE PERSONS WARRANT MORE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION AND SPEEDIER ACTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PROVISION OF 5 000 NEW PLACES IN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE ELDERLY OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, MENTIONED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS, MIGHT NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE IR URGENT DEMAND FOR PROPER AND DECENT HOUSING.
STRESSING THE NEED TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE, DR HO QUOTED A JOINT SURVEY BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WHICH ESTIMATED THAT 67 500 ELDERLY PEOPLE LIVED IN SUBSTANDARD AND OFTEN INHUMAN LIVING CONDITIONS IN 1979.
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