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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1985
MR CHAMBERS AGREED THAT WE NEEDED MORE SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY. AT PRESENT THERE ARE 98 SUCH CENTRES, AND 13 MORE WERE PLANNED DURING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.
HE SAID THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT USED VARIOUS TYPES OF PUBLICITY TO ENCOURAGE THOSE IN NEED TO APPLY FOR WELFARE BENEFITS,
+THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PUBLICITY EFFORT CAN BE GAUGED BY THE FACT THAT OVER 85 PER CENT OF ALL THOSE ELIGIBLE ARE RECEIVING THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, AND THE NUMBER OF DISABLED PEOPLE RECEIVING DISABILITY ALLOWANCE INCREASED BY ABOUT 4 500 CASES THIS YEAR.
REGARDING THE PROBLEM OF NOISE POLLUTION, MR CHAMBERS SAID IT WAS INTENDED THAT THE REINFORCED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING A NOISE CONTROL BILL WHICH WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE PRESENT SESSION.
FREE LAND, LONG-TERM LOANS FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH FREE LAND AND LOANS REPAYABLE OVER 40 YEARS ON VERY FAVOURABLE TERMS FOR PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON PANG YUK-LING, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
MR PANG SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE AVAILABLE SOME $22 BILLION FOR THE PROGRAMME.
+THAT APART, RENT LEVELS FOR DOMESTIC FLATS, WHICH ARE NOT RELATED TO BUILDING COSTS, ARE AS LOW AS 20 TO 30 PER CENT OF THOSE FOR COMPARABLE FLATS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID.
THIS INFORMATION COULD BE FOUND IN THE AUTHORITY'S ANNUAL REPORTS AND AUDITED ACCOUNTS TABLED EVERY YEAR.
+IN ADDITION, THE ACCOUNTS, WITH EXPLANATIONS IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, ARE PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPERS, HE SAID.
MR PANG WAS REPLYING TO A VIEW EXPRESSED THAT IT WAS INACCURATE FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO SAY THAT PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS WERE ENJOYING HEAVY GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.
+THE REALITY IS THAT GOVERNMENT DOES SUBSIDISE THE HOUSING PROGRAMME,+ HE SAID,
/ON THE
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