XN000022-1979-04-25 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1979

MR. LEE SAID THE SCHEME ALSO PROVIDES A SPEEDY MEANS OF REDRESS FOR ANY APPLICANT NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DECISION MADE BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE.

HE MAY APPEAL TO AN INDEPENDENT SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD, COMPRISING UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, ON MATTERS CONCERNING REFUSAL OF PAYMENT, THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT OFFERED OR THE ISSUING OF PAYMENT TO A PERSON OTHER THAN THE APPLICANT, HE SAID.

557 BOAT FAMILIES ON PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LIST

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A TOTAL OF 557 BOAT FAMILIES ARE KNOWN TO BE ON THE AITING LIST FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. A.J. SCOTT, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. ANDREW SO, WHO HAD ASKED HOW MANY BOAT DWELLERS THERE ARE AND HOW MANY HAD APPLIED FOR HOUS ING.

MR. SCOTT SAID THE 1976 BY-CENSUS FIGURE FOR THE MARINE POPULATION WAS 59,050, OF WHOM IT WAS ESTIMATED 25,000 PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN SOME 2,400 DWELLING BOATS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

THE BALANCE WERE LIVING ON THE IR WORKING CRAFT.

CONCERNING BOAT DWELLERS' APPLICATIONS FOR HOUSING, MR. SCOTT SAID IT WAS NOT KNOWN HOW MANY BOAT PEOPLE HAD USED A FORWARD ING ADDRESS, AND NOT THE IR BOAT NUMBERS, AND AN EXAMINATION OF ALL 144,000 +LIVE+ APPLICATIONS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE HOW MANY HAD DONE THIS.

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HOWEVER IT WAS KNOWN THAT 557 FAMILIES HAD GIVEN BOAT NUMBERS AS THE IR ADDRESSES.

MR. SCOTT REFERRED MEMBERS TO A REPLY HE GAVE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 1977 ON THE SAME SUBJECT, WHEN HE SAID THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHOUSING WERE THE SAME FOR BOAT SQUATTERS AS FOR LAND SQUATTERS.

+ IF THEY ARE AFFECTED BY DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY OFFERED HOUSING, HE SAID.

+ IF THEY ARE NOT SO AFFECTED, THEY MAY REGISTER ON THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S WAITING LIST IN THE NORMAL WAY.

+ IF AT ANY TIME THE IR BOATS FOR ANY REASON BECOME UNSAFE, THEY ARE OFFERED IMMEDIATE TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION, +

MR. SCOTT SAID 80,000 BOAT DWELLERS HAD BEEN REHOUSED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT WORKS SINCE 1960, AND THAT 1,000 MORE HAD BEEN REHOUSED SINCE NOVEMBER 1977, FOLLOWING MARINE AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT INSPECTIONS,

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