13 -
Future efforts
The concept of primary health care has taken root in our formulation of health care policy. As always, we will work to ensure that no one will be denied access to healthcare services through a lack of means.
As I pointed out earlier, we will also work to better co-ordinate and facilitate growing collaboration among all our healthcare professionals. We have a sound healthcare system that cares for all age groups, but we need to refine our services to cater to specific groups, in this case, the older members of the community. Existing services will be critically evaluated to ensure the most cost-effective use of all existing resources. Innovative ideas originating from the public and private sectors will be encouraged and tried out. Last but not least, we will motivate the community in different ways to help the individual and his family to adopt healthy lifestyles so that the community, as it grows old together, will do so in good health.
Thank you, Mr President.
End/Wednesday, January 25, 1995
Housing (Amendment) Bill 1995 introduced to LegCo
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic S W Wong, in moving the second reading of the Housing (Amendment) Bill 1995 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
I move the Second Reading of the Housing (Amendment) Bill 1995.
The purpose of this Bill is to update and improve several provisions in the Housing Ordinance. Two significant and two minor amendments are proposed.
First, Clause 4 of the Bill empowers the Secretary for Housing to appoint, under new section 7A of the Ordinance, a panel of members, to hear appeals under section 20(1) of the Ordinance against termination of leases by the Hong Kong Housing Authority. The Bill also empowers the Secretary for Housing to make rules regulating the procedure for appeals to the panel. At present, the Housing Authority is responsible for appointing such a panel and for making such rules. This arrangement is not satisfactory as the Housing Authority is a party to these appeals, and hence the amendments are proposed. Furthermore, to ensure independence and impartiality regarding the handling of appeals, the Secretary for Housing will in future only appoint persons who are not members of the Housing Authority to the appeal panel.