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No Change in housing welfare for junior civil servants
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Michael Sze, today (Wednesday) reassured that there is no change to the long-standing arrangement under which junior civil servants may apply for a public housing unit through a quota allocation system agreed with the Housing Department.
In reply to a question in the Legislative Council by the Hon Mrs Elizabeth Wong, Mr Sze pointed out that the changes in housing quota this year for junior civil servants had been caused by developments in the public housing programme.
"I am fully aware of the situation faced by the Housing Authority and accept that civil servants will understand that this will have an effect on the Quota. At the same time, I feel it is important to ensure that civil servants have a reasonable share of the available units," he said.
Noting that the Civil Service Housing Quota was set by the Housing Authority on the advice of the Housing Department, Mr Sze said as a result of negotiation this year, the Civil Service Branch for the first time in the past ten years, was able to secure an increase in the quota, although it had to accept a reduction in the number of rental units.
Since 1985, the quota has remained at 1,700 places comprising 300 rental units and 400 units of the increasingly popular Home Ownership Scheme. For 1995- 96, the quota will be 1,950, comprising 750 rental units, 700 Home Ownership Scheme units and 500 Home Purchase Loan Scheme places. The amount of the Home Purchase Loan has been increased from $300,000 to $600,000 recently.
"The reduction in rental units has been more than offset by the increase in the Home Ownership Scheme units and the introduction of the Home Purchase Loan Scheme places," he said.
Mr Sze pointed out that the Civil Service Housing Quota though not an entitlement, was an important form of staff welfare for junior staff. "There is therefore no question of compensation being paid for the changes in the Quota," he stressed, adding that the Government had not and would not change this policy.