TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1986
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THE TEAM WOULD PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ETHNIC MINORITIES AND EX-SERVICEMEN AND WOULD DISCUSS WITH HOME OFFICE AND FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE OFFICIALS THE QUESTION OF THE ENDORSEMENT IN THE BN(0) PASSPORT MENTIONED BY MR RENTON AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE POINTED OUT THAT DURING THE PAST FEW DAYS, MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION HAD BEEN BUSY COLLECTING INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE REQUESTS.
THE HONG KONG TEAM ARE EXPECTED TO COMMENCE DISCUSSIONS WITH HOME OFFICE AND FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE OFFICIALS ON MONDAY (FEBRUARY 3).
SIR DAVID VISITS FIRE SCENE
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IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MAINTAINED ITS VERY FIRM POLICY IN WHICH FIRE VICTIMS AND VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS WERE HOUSED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING VICTIMS OF LAST NIGHT'S NO. 4 ALARM FIRE AT SHEK KIP MEI, SIR DAVID SAID HE BELIEVED THERE WAS VERY GOOD HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR THEM THERE.
+WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THAT POLICY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME,+ HE ADDED.
ASKED WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD DO IF THE VICTIMS REFUSED TO BE REHOUSED IN TUEN MUN, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THEY WERE STILL IN A STATE OF SHOCK FROM LAST NIGHT'S TRAGIC FIRE AND THAT HE DIDN'T THINK +WE CAN BEGIN REALLY TO DECIDE ON THAT SORT OF THING UNTIL WE'VE TALKED TO THE PEOPLE CONCERNED+.
ON ALLEGATIONS THAT THE FIRE WAS MUCH WORSE THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FIRE BREAK DUE TO PROBLEMS OF RESETTLING PEOPLE, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD OF SUCH ALLEGATIONS.
+ BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL FIRE SITE, IT IS A VERY SMALL POCKET A SMALL, VERY DENSELY CROWDED POCKET OF STRUCTURES,+ HE SAID. +AND REALLY IF YOU'D CREATED A FIRE BREAK IN THAT POCKET IT WOULD REALLY HAVE MEANT CLEARING THE WHOLE LOT BECAUSE IT WAS SO CROWDED.
+ IT IS, OF COURSE, ONE OF OUR OLDEST SQUATTER AREAS, AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THIS IS SHEK KIP MEI WHERE, OF COURSE, THE TRAGIC FIRE
IN 4053 REALLY STARTED THE HOUSING PROGRAMME GOING.+
THE LONG-TERM
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