WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1983
13
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TIME NEEDED TO CHECK GRANTS: HAYE
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PAYMENTS OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS TO MATRICULATION STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES AND COLLEGES OF EDUCATION CANNOT BE MADE BEFORE MID-DECEMBER EACH YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TIME AND CARE REQUIRED TO PROCESS AND CHECK THE LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT, MR HAYE SAID THERE WERE TWO SETS OF GRANTS MAINTENANCE GRANTS TO MATRICULATION STUDENTS IN FORM/MIDDLE SIX CLASSES IN SCHOOLS, AND GRANTS UNDER THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR APPROVED POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES AND COLLEGES OF EDUCATION.
POINTING OUT THERE WAS A SIMILAR TIME CONSTRAINT ON BOTH TYPES OF GRANT, MR HAYE SAID, +PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS FROM FORM/MIDDLE SIX STUDENTS CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION RESULTS IN MID-AUGUST, AND FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS NOT UNTIL LATE-SEPTEMBER, WHEN THEY FIRST REGISTER AT THE COLLEGES.+
HE SAID APPLICATIONS FROM OLD AND NEW STUDENTS HAD TO BE CONSIDERED SIMULTANEOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO APPLY THE SAME CUT-OFF POINT OF THE INCOME-INDEX, WHICH WAS USED TO DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL NEED OF EACH APPLICANT AND THUS THE LEVEL OF GRANT.
THE SPEED OF PROCESSING WAS FURTHER CONSTRAINED BY THE QUESTION OF LOANS TO STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGES WHICH MUST BE LOOKED AT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS, MR HAYE EXPLAINED.
+GIVEN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO BE DEALT WITH, THE TIGHT TIME-TABLE IN WHICH THEY FALL, AND THE CARE WITH WHICH THEY MUST BE ASSESSED TO ENSURE THE PROPER USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, PAYMENTS CANNOT BE MADE BEFORE MID-DECEMBER, HE SAID.
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UNL ICENSED COOKED FOOD HAWKERS POSE MAIN PROBLEM
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LICENSED COOKED FOOD HAWKERS ARE INSPECTED REGULARLY AND MAY BE PROSECUTED IF THEY BREACH HYGIENE REGULATIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON DENIS BRAY, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG CONCERNING HYGIENE PROBLEMS CREATED BY ON-STREET COOKED FOOD STALLS AND GOVERNMENT ACTION TAKEN, MR BRAY POINTED OUT THAT 262 PROSECUTIONS FOR THE OFFENCE WERE TAKEN OUT IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF LAST YEAR.
/BUT UNLICENSED