WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1986
14
FIRE SITES CLEARED AFTER CHECKS
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FOLLOWING MAJOR SQUATTER FIRES, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT USUALLY CONDUCTS SITE IDENTIFICATION EXERCISES TO IDENTIFY GENUINE FIRE VICTIMS, A PROCESS THAT NORMALLY TAKES SEVERAL DAYS, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+ THE FIRE SITES WILL THEREAFTER BE HANDED OVER TO THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICER WHO WILL IMMEDIATELY ARRANGE FOR CLEARANCE WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT, MR CHAN SAID IN REPLY TO THE HON PAULINE NG.
MRS NG HAD ASKED WHETHER AFTER A FIRE ACTION WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO CLEAR SITES IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF NEARBY RESIDENTS.
TO A FURTHER QUESTION, MR CHAN SAID AT PRESENT THERE WAS ONLY ONE SQUATTER FIRE SITE AWAITING CLEARANCE AT THE HOLY CROSS PATH VILLAGE IN SHAU KEI WAN.
A WORKS ORDER HAD BEEN ISSUED AND CLEARANCE WORK WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-MAY.
+THERE ARE SIX OTHER SITES WHERE CLEARANCE WORK IS IN PROGRESS AND IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION ALSO BY MID-MAY 1986, HE ADDED.
FUNDING MUST BEAR COST OF SERVICES
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IT IS GENERAL POLICY THAT WHERE A STATUTORY AUTHORITY IS PROVIDED WITH AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE OF FUNDING, THE FULL COST OF ANY ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES PROVIDED BY A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE MET FROM THAT SOURCE OF FUNDING RATHER THAN IN SOME PART BY SUBSIDY OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PANG CHUN-HOT ON THE CONTINUAL INCREASE IN THE SERVICE CHARGE FOR COLLECTING THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY LEVY, MR HENDERSON SAID THE CHARGE WAS DEDUCTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE TO DEFRAY THE COST OF COLLECTING THE LEVY OF 0.03 PER CENT ON THE VALUE (FOB) OF CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR EXPORTS WHICH FINANCED THE ACTIVITIES OF THE
CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY AS PROVIDED BY LAW.
+THE RECOVERY OF THESE COSTS SHOULD HAVE NO ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUTHORITY'S TRAINING PROGRAMMES AS THESE AND OTHER COSTS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE AUTHORITY'S PROJECTIONS OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE, HE SAID.
/MR HENDERSON