XN000022-1985-10-17 — Page 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1935

8

HONG KONG STUDENTS CENTRE TO CLOSE

***

THE HONG KONG STUDENTS CENTRE IN LONDON WILL BE CLOSED FROM JULY 1, 1986.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON SAID THIS WAS DUE TO DWINDLING DEMAND FOR ACCOMMODATION AT THE CENTRE.

+THIS IS DUE LARGELY TO COLLEGE-MAINTAINED ACCOMMODATION BEING MORE READILY AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY TO OVERSEAS STUDENTS, + HE EXPLAINED.

THE CENTRE, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED HONG KONG HOUSE, PROVIDES ACCOMMODATION FOR A MAXIMUM OF 90 STUDENTS.

IT WAS OPENED IN 1958 AND IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES

THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY RATE WAS WELL OVER 90 PER CENT.

+HOWEVER THE RATE HAS BEEN DECREASING STEADILY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +AND IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR IT WAS DOWN TO 75 PER CENT.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR THE CENTRE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WAS $6.9 MILLION AND THE RUNNING COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE IN FUTURE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE BUILDING.

+UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED JUST IF IABLE TO KEEP THE CENTRE OPEN AT THIS COST TO THE HONG KONG TAXPAYER, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE BUILDING WILL BE SOLD BY TENDER.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG STUDENTS AT BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS WILL CONTINUE TO BE GIVEN ASSISTANCE UNDER THE UNITED KINGDOM-HONG KONG JOINT FUNDING SCHEME AND THE IR WELFARE WILL CONTINUE TO BE LOOKED AFTER BY THE STUDENTS DIVISION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE.

HONG KONG GROUP ON CHINA VISIT

****

FIVE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, LED BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, LEFT FOR BEIJING TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE VISIT IS IN RESPONSE TO AN INVITATION RECEIVED EARLIER THIS YEAR FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY OF CHINA, CIVIC ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION SOCIETY OF BEIJING AND THE ARCHITECTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE QINGHUA UNIVERSITY.

/DURING THE