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WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1992
MR SUEN TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT SINCE OCTOBER 1990, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING HALF-YEARLY VISITS ΤΟ KNOWN BEDSPACE APARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY THOSE LODGERS WHO WERE AGED 60 OR OVER, OR WERE RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
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"ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION IS OFFERED BY THE THOSE WHO NEED IT, HE SAID.
DEPARTMENT TO
UP TO MARCH 1992, 254 LODGERS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 1552 VISITED HAVE BEEN REHOUSED AND IN ADDITION, 100 HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE WAITING LIST.
HE SAID ALL GENUINE BEDSPACE APARTMENT LODGERS, APART FROM THOSE OVER 60 YEARS OLD OR TAKEN CARE OF BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WERE ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION INTO THESE HOSTELS.
"THERE IS A PRACTICAL NEED TO DRAW THIS LINE BECAUSE ΤΟ DO OTHERWISE WILL SERIOUSLY COMPROMISE OUR CAPABILITY TO BRING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE OVERCROWDING CONDITIONS IN EXISTING BEDSPACE APARTMENTS," HE EXPLAINED.
HE ADDED THAT CNTA WOULD CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR SUITABLE FLATS TO PROVIDE MORE HOSTELS.
BE
MOREOVER, MR SUEN SAID THERE WAS NO NEED FOR OTHER MEASURES TO INTRODUCED, BECAUSE LODGERS IN EXISTING BEDSPACE APARTMENTS WERE FITHER ELIGIBLE FOR REHOUSING OFFERED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OR FOR ADMISSION INTO CNTA'S SINGLETON HOSTELS.
VR RESETTLEMENT MEETS QUOTA
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THE GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDS FROM UNHCR THAT THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM HAVE ACCEPTED OR EXCEEDED THE NUMBERS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO WHICH THEY ARE COMMITTED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RITA FAN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR ASPREY SAID THE PLEDGES OF RESETTLEMENT MADE IN 1989 AND REVISED BY UNHCR IN 1990 RELATED TO THE REGION AS A WHOLE, AND NOT SPECIFICALLY TO HONG KONG.
/THE NUMBERS