WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1985
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SELECTION A MATTER FOR BODY CONCERNED
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THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT, UNDER PRESENT POLICY, STIPULATE THE MANNER IN WHICH REPRESENTATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES SELECTED CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT TO STATUTORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, THE HON ADOLF HSU, SAID TODAY.
+THIS IS A MATTER ENTIRELY LEFT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE NOMINATING BODY, MR HSU SAID. THAT BEING SO, ONE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT THOSE NAMED FOR SUCH APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE ONLY AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE ORGANISATION CONCERNED.+
HE WAS REPLYING A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD +CONSIDER ALLOWING REPRESENTATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES WHICH NOW NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT TO STATUTORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES TO PUT FORWARD THEIR CANDIDATES BY ELECTION+.
NO RELIEF SEEN YET FOR OVERCROWDING
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THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE MEANS OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF OVERCROWDING IN THE TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS, AS SUPPLY COULD NOT MEET THE GREAT DEMAND, THE HON PANG YUK-LING, SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PAULINE NG, MR PANG SAID THAT THERE WAS A TOTAL STOCK OF 143 700 TEMPORARY HOUSING PERSON SPACES FOR ABOUT 43 500 FAMILIES AS COMPARED WITH THE APPROVED TARGET OF 177 000 PERSON SPACES FOR ABOUT 53 600 FAMILIES+.
THE STANDARD OF SPACE ALLOCATION, HE SAID, HAD IMPROVED FROM 1.86 SQ. METRES PER PERSON IN 1973 TO THE PRESENT 3.4 SQ. M. BUT THERE WERE AT PRESENT 3 975 +THA+ FAMILIES OCCUPYING SPACE AT DENSITY BELOW 1.86 SQ. M. PER PERSON, REPRESENTING ABOUT TEN PER CENT OF THE TOTAL +THA+ POPULATION OF 39 513 FAMILIES IN 46 +THA'S+.
SINCE JANUARY 1984, ALL VACANT THA+ UNITS BELOW 7.43 SQ. METRES HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING, AND 758 FAMILIES HAD SO FAR BENEFITED FROM THIS POLICY, HE SAID.
A FURTHER 1 500 MORE SUCH SMALL UNITS WERE EXPECTED TO BECOME AVAILABLE FROM CASUAL YACANCIES.
MR PANG ALSO SAID THAT WORK WAS BEING CARRIED OUT ON 11 NEW +THA+ SITES TO PRODUCE ABOUT 12 500 PERSON SPACES FOR ABOUT 3 800 FAMILIES BY MARCH NEXT YEAR.
FURTHER MEASURES TO RELIEVE OVERCROWDING COULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN THE SUPPLY SITUATION IMPROVED, MR PANG SAID.
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