XN000022-1983-07-26 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1983

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HOUSING PRIORITY FOR FAMILIES JUSTIFIED FORD

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THE PRESENT POLICY OF GIVING PRIORITY TO FAMILIES IS WELL JUSTIFIED IN A SITUATION WHERE SUBSIDISED PUBLIC HOUSING IS LIMITED.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, MR DAVID FORD, AT A MEETING WITH A GROUP OF URBAN COUNCILLORS AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS THIS AFTERNOON.

+EVEN THOUGH WE PRODUCE 35 000 FLATS A YEAR WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH PRIORITY AND SOME DESERVING GROUPS OF PEOPLE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED,+ MR FORD ADDED.

+THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE IGNORED THE HOUSING NEEDS OF SINGLE PEOPLE. WE DO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR SINGLE PEOPLE ON A SHARED BASIS WHEN THEY ARE ELDERLY OR IN COMPASSIONATE CASES.

+SOME 17 PER CENT OR ABOUT 30 000 OF THE 190 000 SINGLE PERSONS IN HONG KONG ARE LIVING IN OUR ESTATES AND ABOUT 30 TO 40 PER CENT OF THE SINGLE PERSONS AFFECTED BY OUR DEVELOPMENT CLEARANCES ARE PROVIDED WITH PERMANENT HOUSING ON THE SAME BASIS.

+FOR THOSE SINGLE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT FALL INTO THESE CATEGORIES AND WISH TO BE HOUSED BY THE GOVERNMENT, DECENT HOSTEL ACCOMMODATION IS PROVIDED, + MR FORD SAID.

THE SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT EVEN THE AGED, INFIRMED OR HANDICAPPED WERE CARED FOR BY WELFARE AGENCIES IN HOSTELS, AND ABLE-BODIED SINGLE PEOPLE COULD HARDLY CLAIM BETTER TREATMENT.

REFERRING TO A GROUP OF SINGLE PEOPLE STAGING A PROTEST OUTSIDE THE SECRETARIAT, MR FORD NOTED THAT SOME OF THE PROTESTERS HAD CLAIMED THE HOSTELS MADE AVAILABLE WERE TOO FAR FROM THEIR PLACES OF WORK. HE THEREFORE SUGGESTED THAT THESE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, ON A FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED BASIS, TO MOVE TO A HOSTEL WHICH WOULD BE BUILT AT TSUEN WAN LATER THIS YEAR. MEANWHILE, THEY COULD MOVE INTO TRANSIT ACCOMMODATION IN TSUEN WAN PENDING THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW HOSTEL.

POLYTECHNIC TO OFFER DEGREE COURSE IN DESIGN

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APPROVAL HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR A FURTHER DEGREE COURSE TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.

THE THREE-YEAR COURSE IN DESIGN (GRAPHIC DESIGN AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGN) WILL LEAD TO THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE, DUE TO START IN 1984-85, IT WILL INITIALLY CATER TO 60 STUDENTS.

IT IS GEARED TOWARDS HELPING THE STUDENTS DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE IN VARIOUS AREAS OF DESIGN WORK AND SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS HONG KONG'S EFFORTS TO PRODUCE MORE ORIGINAL CONSUMER PRODUCT DESIGNS AND TO IMPROVE STANDARDS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN SUCH AS ILLUSTRATION, AUDIO-VISUAL DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

THE DEGRA