XN000022-1986-04-09 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1986

+PAYMENT COULD BE MADE FROM 82 POST OFFICES, SEVEN NEW TERMITORIES DISTRICT OFFICES AND FOUR TREASURY OFFICES, HE ADDED.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT CAUSED NO PROBLEMS TO RECIPIENTS AND ENABLED THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO VARY OR STOP PAYMENTS WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION BY MRS NG ON WHY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ALLOMANCES COULD NOT LIKE OLD AGE AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCES, BE PAID DIRECTLY INTO RECIPIENTS' BANK ACCOUNTS, HE EXPLAINED THAT THE TWO WERE FLAT RATE ALLOWANCES GENERALLY PAID ON A FAIRLY LONG-TERM BASIS.

+THEREFORE PAYMENT CAN CONVENIENTLY BE MADE DIRECTLY INTO RECIPIENTS' BANK ACCOUNTS EVERY MONTH, HE SAID.

+PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A PAYMENT TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOUSEHOLD'S RESOURCES AND THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL APPROPRIATE TO THE HOUSEHOLD'S CIRCUMSTANCES,+ HE ADDED.

THE AMOUNT PAYABLE WAS QUITE LIKELY TO VARY FROM MONTH TO MONTH IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN THE HOUSEHOLD'S INCOME OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

MR CHAMBERS SAID 77 PER CENT OF THE 62 000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES ON HAND WERE CONSIDERED LIKELY TO BE SUBJECT TO PAYMENT VAR LATIONS, WHILE AN AVERAGE OF 1 500 CASES PER MONTH WOULD HAVE PAYMENTS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY.

→NOT ALL BANKS MAY BE ABLE TO RESPOND WITH SUFFICIENT SPEED TO INSTRUCTIONS TO STOP OR VARY PAYMENTS TO ENSURE THAT RECIPIENTS ARE PAID THE AMOUNTS TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED,+ HE SAID.

NO CHANGE IN POLICY FOR PHILIPPINE ARRIVALS

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THE IMMIGRATION POLICY IN RESPECT OF PERSONS ARRIVING FROM THE PHILIPPINES. ESPECIALLY THOSE WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO LAND IN HONG KONG, HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED AND NORMALLY INVOLVED ROUTINE CHECKS AND QUESTIONING BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HOWEVER, HE ADDED, THERE WERE INSTANCES WHEN SUCH ARRIVALS WERE QUESTIONED MORE THOROUGHLY THAN USUAL, AS WAS THE CASE DURING THE CONFUSED SITUATION IN THE PHILIPPINES IN THE LAST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.

/REPLYING TO