XN000022-1984-11-05 — Page 8

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1984

MP'S EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH URBAN COUNCILLORS

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THREE MEMBERS OF BRITISH PARLIAMENT CALLED ON THE URBAN COUNCIL THIS EVENING (MONDAY) TO EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH COUNCILLORS ON A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

THEY WERE SIR HECTOR MONROE, MR HAL MILLER AND MR BOWEN WELLS, ALL FROM THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY.

UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY WERE MET BY THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL, MR H.M.G. FORSGATE.

THE VISITORS WERE THEN BRIEFED ON THE FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MUNICIPAL AND CULTURAL SERVICES IT PROVIDES.

WARNING ON FALSE STATEMENTS ****

MAKING FALSE STATEMENT TO OBTAIN PUBLIC HOUSING IS AN OFFENCE CARRYING A MAXIMUM FINE OF $20 000 AND SIX-MONTH IMPRISONMENT ON CONVICTION, A HOUSING AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN WARNED TODAY.

HE MADE THE WARNING FOLLOWING A RECENT CASE IN WHICH A MAN WAS FINED $1 000 BY THE COURT FOR COMMITTING SUCH AN OFFENCE IN HIS APPLICATION FOR A PUBLIC HOUSING UNIT FOR HIS FAMILY.

+WHEN HIS APPLICATION MATURED, THE MAN DECLARED THAT HIS MONTHLY INCOME WAS $3 000, AN AMOUNT BELOW THE INCOME LIMIT OF $3 700 SET AT THE TIME FOR A FAMILY OF THREE.

+SINCE THEIR CLAIMS MET THE VARIOUS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THE FAMILY WAS ALLOCATED A PUBLIC HOUSING FLAT.

+ HOWEVER, IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THE MAN WAS NOT WORKING WITH THE COMPANY AS HE HAD CLAIMED AND WAS. IN FACT, EARNING AN AVERAGE OF $4 800 PER MONTH WHICH FAR EXCEEDED THE PRESCRIBED INCOME LIMIT.

+AS A RESULT, THE MAN WAS PROSECUTED, FINED AND HIS PUBLIC HOUSING FLAT RECOVERED BY THE AUTHORITY FOR RE-ALLOCATION TO ANOTHER FAMILY IN GENUINE NEED OF SUBSIDISED HOUSING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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