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Emergency alarm systems for elderly singletons
Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Regarding elderly singletons residing in public housing units, does the Government know:
(a)
(b)
(c)
of the number of elderly singletons presently residing in public housing units which are planned to be redeveloped in three years' time or thereafter, and the number among this group of elderly singletons who are residing in Mark IV public housing units;
how many of the elderly singletons referred in the answer to (a) above are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients; and
in the light of the incident which took place at the end of last year in which an elderly singleton living in a public housing unit, which was not equipped with an emergency alarm system, was killed in a fire caused by the short circuit of a mosquito extinguisher, whether the authority concerned has:
(i) conducted any review for the purpose of preventing the
occurrence of similar incidents; and
(ii)
any plan in the near future to assign staff to visit elderly singletons living in public housing units who are not CSSA recipients, so as to assist them in applying for the installation of an emergency alarm system; if so, when the plan will be implemented; if not, why not?
H