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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1992
LORD
LAID
QUESTION:
MR GOVERNOR, IN 1973, WHEN THE THEN GOVERNOR MACLEHOSE, MADE THE 10-YEAR HOUSING POLICY, IT WAS VERY CLEARLY DOWN THAT PUBLIC HOUSING WAS PART OF SOCIAL WELFARE. BUT AFTER 1988, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS RE-ORGANISED AND ALL THE LAND BECAME THE PERMANENT ASSET, BELONGING TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE AUTHORITY HAD TO PAY THE GOVERNMENT 5% DIVIDEND EVERY YEAR. IN A FEW YEARS' TIME, A TOTAL OF 4.2 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN PAID AND IN 1997, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL HAVE ALREADY PAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT 17 BILLION DOLLARS. SO, MAY I ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. PUBLIC HOUSING IS SOCIAL WELFARE OR A MEANS TO MAKE MONEY? DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE GRASSROOTS PEOPLE, OR DO YOU WANT то FRY US LIKE DUCKS?
GOVERNOR:
FIRST OF ALL, YOU ARE OF COURSE RIGHT. THAT HONG KONG NEEDS GOOD PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMMES AND I AM SURE YOU'D ALSO ACCEPT THAT GOOD PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMMES COST MONEY AND THAT IS WHY, WE ARE PROPOSING TO SPEND, ON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HOUSING SOCIETY PROGRAMMES, 41 BILLION DOLLARS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ABOUT 40,000 UNITS A YEAR. THAT MEANS THAT, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ABOUT A 190,000 FAMILIES WILL RECEIVE HOMES. THAT'S ABOUT 650,000 PEOPLE. THAT IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL COMMITMENT TO TRYING TO DEAL WITH HONG KONG'S HOUSING NEED. YOU ARE ENTIRELY RIGHT TO SAY ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN RELAX OUR EFFORTS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO SO AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMIT SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES TO A GOOD HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG.
QUESTION:
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MR GOVERNOR, ALTHOUGH MY SPEECH HAS BEEN DELAYED ONCE AGAIN, BUT I AM VERY GLAD THAT FINALLY YOU GAVE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU. YOU HAVE A LOT OF I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU HAVE PROMISED US, IF THERE IS ANY DELAY, AND AT THE END YOU CAN STILI. FULFILL. THEM. NOW,
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MY QUESTION. IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH, THOUGH THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT CHAPTERS AND PARAGRAPHS
ON SINO-HONG KONG RELATIONS, BUT ACTUALLY THE RELATION HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN SEVERAL PLACES. REGARDING A LOT OF YOUR PROGRAMMES ON SOCIAL WELFARE, ON THE AIRPORT, ON LAW AND ORDER AND ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM CHINA. SO I DOUBT VERY MUCH, WHEN YOU
TO PEKING
LATER, HOW CAN YOU RESOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS IN ONE MORNING AND, PERHAPS, WITH COFFEE BREAKS TOO? I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A STRONG RESISTANCE FROM CHINA, WHAT IS YOUR BOTTOM LINE? WHAT CAN YOU GIVE
UP?
/GOVERNOR: WELL
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