20
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986
+WE MUST BUILD INTO THE SYSTEMS WAYS TO HELP THOSE IN REAL NEED, SHE SAID.
MRS CHOW RECALLED THAT A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP WAS FORMED TO STUDY THE GREEN PAPER ON HOUSING SUBSIDY IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR WITH A VIEW TO DEBATING IT.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING SUBSIDY DECIDED TO DEFER ITS FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, PENDING RESULTS OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION, THE LEGCO GROUP DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE COMMITTEE HAD REACHED ITS CONCLUSION, SHE SAID.
MRS CHOW EXPLAINED THAT THE RELEASE OF THE TWO REPORTS TOGETHER IN SEPTEMBER HAD LED THE GROUP TO CONCLUDE THAT THEY SHOULD BE TACKLED AT THE SAME TIME IN ONE DEBATE.
SHE SAID THAT SINCE JUNE THIS YEAR, THE AD HOC GROUP HAD BEEN WELL INFORMED OF THE THINKING OF THE TWO COMMITTEES, THROUGH MEETINGS WITH BOTH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN, THE HON F.K. HU AND THE HON CHAN YING-LUN.
MRS CHOW ADDED THAT THEY HAD REPEATED OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE REPORTS TO MEET CONCERNED GROUPS REPRESENTING PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS.
J
ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF HOUSING SUBSIDY TO TENANTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, MRS CHOW SAID MEMBERS HAD DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW MEASURE.
+WE ARE BY AND LARGE IN TUNE WITH THE PRINCIPLE THAT AT THE END OF TEN YEARS OF SUBSTANTIALLY SUBSIDISED HOUSING, TENANTS' FINANCIAL CONDITION SHOULD BE RE-ASSESSED TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THE SAME LEVEL OF SUBSIDY SHOULD CONTINUE, SHE SAID.
HOWEVER, SHE SAID MOST MEMBERS WERE NOT COMFORTABLE THAT THE INCREASE AT THE END OF THE TENTH YEAR WAS AUTOMATIC, WITH THE ONUS OF PROOF PLACED SQUARELY ON THE TENANTS.
+THE ASSUMPTION THAT ALL TEN-YEAR TENANTS HAVE REACHED THE SUBSIDY INCOME LIMIT AND WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY DOUBLE RENT UNLESS THEY CAN PROVE OTHERWISE IS WRONG IN PRINCIPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ESTIMATE THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF TENANTS WHO EXCEED THE LIMIT IS ONLY FIVE PER CENT OF THE ENTIRE CATEGORY, SHE SAID.
MRS CHOW SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL CONTAINED IN THE REPORT PROVIDED
THAT:
(1) ALL TENANTS AT THE END OF THEIR TENTH YEARS
DECLARE THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOME, AND THE RENT INCREASE IS BASED ON ACTUAL FINANCIAL POSITIONS OF THE TENANTS.
/(2) THESE TENANTS'