XN000022-1975-03-19 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1975

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HOUSING LOTTERY PROPOSED

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A SPECIAL LOTTERY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING WAS ADVOCATED TODAY BY THE HON. ROGER LOBO AS AN ADDITIONAL MEANS TO ASSIST IN THE TASK OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

HE SUGGESTED THAT THE HOUSING LOTTERY COULD BE BASED ON $2 TICKETS DRAWN AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THIS, HE TOLD THE OPENING SESSION OF THE DUDGET DEBATE, COULD GENERATE CONSIDERABLE FUNDS AND GIVE ALL THOSE LIVING IN THE GROUP A AND B ESTATES, RESITE AREAS, AS WELL AS THOSE ON THE WAITING LIST, AN OPPORTUNITY OF OUNING A FLAT OF THEIR OWN.

THE CONCEPT OF SUCH A LOTTERY WAS NOT NEW, HE SAID, AND HE FELT THE TIME HAD COME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY. MR. LOBO APPRECIATED THAT THE MECHANICS OF HIS PROPOSAL WOULD HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND WORKED OUT.

ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, MR. LOBO BELIEVED IT TO BE A FAIR AND REASONABLE ONE. BUT IN SOME RESPECTS HE DOUBTED HOW CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY ON WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND OTHER IMPORTANT FACILITIES.

HE NOTED THAT THE AUXILIARY SERVICES HAD SUFFERED SEVERELY IN THE BUDGET. AND HE QUESTIONED THE WISDOM OF RUNNING DOWN THE CIVIL AID SERVICES WHICH HAD SERVED THE COMMUNITY FAITHFULLY IN EMERGENCY AS WELL AS IN NORMAL TIMES FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

THE COMMUNITY, HE WARNED, COULD NOW EXPECT TO BE DEPRIVED

·OF A LARGE PART OF THE SERVICES OF THE VOLUNTEERS ON OCCASIONS OF LARGE SCALE EMERGENCY SUCH AS DURING TYPHOONS AND RAINSTORMS.

+SO SEVERE IS THE CUT THAT THE CIVIL AID SERVICES ARE FORCED TO REDUCE THEIR STRENGTH BY DISCHARGING 1,500 MEMBERS,+ HE SAID, TO THEIR CREDIT, MANY GAS MEMDERS HAD OFFERED TO CONTINUE GIVING THEIR SERVICES WITHOUT THE PAYMENTS NOW MADE TO THEM.

URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE WHOLE QUESTION OF RUNNING DOWN THE CAS, MR. LOBO SAID: THIS IS A PEOPLE'S SERVICE IN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN LOOKING AFTER THEIR OWN AFFAIRS AND ASSIST THE REGULAR SERVICES WHENEVER THERE IS THE NEED.+

MR. LOBO WONDERED WHETHER CUTS COULD BE AVOIDED BY A CHANGE OF POLICY IN AIR PASSAGES FOR CERTAIN CIVIL SERVANTS FROM FIRST CLASS TO ECONOMY CLASS WHENEVER POSSIBLE..

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