- 53 -
I wish also to respond briefly to the comments of some Members on the subject of better-off tenants. The reason for the proposed policy was clearly stated by the Governor in his Policy Address: it is plainly wrong that public rental housing should continue to accommodate tenants who have the financial resources to meet their own housing requirement. We must ensure that heavily subsidised housing is enjoyed by those who need it most. Where tenants can afford to buy their own homes, whether at subsidised or market prices, or to rent accommodation in the private sector, they should make way for others whose only hope of finding decent accommodation lies with public rental housing. This is a case where the need to make the best use of scarce housing resources and the basic considerations of fairness point in the same direction.
Temporary housing
Turning to temporary housing, some Members have criticised the Government for not honouring its pledges on Temporary Housing Areas. I would like to reiterate publicly again that we will honour in full the three pledges. We are well on target to fulfilling these pledges. Indeed we will be able to go one step further that is, by the end of 1997, all THA residents at the end of September this year will be offered rehousing in public rental estates.
Separately, as a result of future clearances and increased immigration from China, there will still be a genuine need to retain some THAS in the foreseeable future. This is why we have announced the need to retain and refurbish 13 THAS after 1997 for new residents, but we are determined to improve the living conditions by a renovation programme and improved management. I am grateful to the Honourable Lee Wing-tat for his suggestion that some older rental blocks in the urban fringe areas should be retained for use as vertical THAs. This is in fact one of our new Policy Commitments. These high-rise blocks will have many advantages over the conventional wooden THA units. They will be in more convenient locations and offer better security, fire safety and environmental conditions. A pilot scheme has already been implemented in one public rental block, and we will expand this programme in 1996. In addition, new designs of temporary accommodation, with more space and better quality living standards, will gradually be introduced to replace the existing type of temporary housing.