XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

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HOWEVER, THE WORD +TRANSFER+, STRICTLY CONSTRUED, MIGHT COVER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SITUATION WHERE A PERSON WAS IN HOSPITAL AND ENTRUSTED HIS TRAVEL DOCUMENT TO ANOTHER FOR SAFE KEEPING WITHOUT BEING AUTHORISED BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, SHE SAID.

+ IN ORDER TO AVOID IMPOSING STRICT LIABILITY UNNECESSARILY ON THE CITIZEN, IT IS PROPOSED THAT ANY TRANSFER OF A TRAVEL DOCUMENT MUST ALSO BE WITHOUT REASONABLE EXCUSE' BEFORE THE SANCTION OF THE CRIMINAL LAW CAN BE INVOKED,+ MISS TAM SAID.

'RENT POLICY PAPERS FAIR AND REASONABLE'

*****

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE TWO REPORTS ON PUBLIC HOUSING RENTAL AND SUBSIDY POLICIES +ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DONALD LIAO, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE WAS WINDING UP THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORTS OF THE DOMESTIC RENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE AND OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING SUBSIDY TO TENANTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING.

MR LIAO SAID THE AIMS OF THE TWO REPORTS WERE TO OPTIMISE HOUSING RESOURCES AND TO ENSURE THOSE WHO WERE ALREADY IN RENTAL PUBLIC HOUSING WOULD RECEIVE AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE NEEDS IN ORDER TO REHOUSE THOSE WHO WOULD BE IN NEED OF PUBLIC HOUSING BY THE MID-1990'S AND TO PROVIDE FOR FUTURE DEMAND.

PUBLIC HOUSING RENTS HAD REMAINED LOW AND ACCEPTABLE TO TENANTS AS A RESULT OF THE SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

OR LESS

FROM OCTOBER 1983 TO SEPTEMBER 1985, ONLY 738 THAN ONE PER CENT -- OF A TOTAL OF 77 876 HOUSING OFFERS MADE HAD BEEN REFUSED ON ACCOUNT OF HIGH RENT. IN THE SAME PERIOD, 1 310 FAMILIES HAD ASKED FOR BIGGER FLATS AT HIGHER RENTS.

+THIS ACCEPTANCE RATE IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE CURRENT RENT LEVEL IS AFFORDABLE AND INDEED SOME INTEREST GROUPS ON PUBLIC HOUSING HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME ECHOED THE SAME SENTIMENT, HE ADDED.

+

REFERRING TO THE MAXIMUM MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO OF 15 PER CENT PROPOSED BY THE DOMESTIC RENT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE, MR LIAO SAID PRELIMINARY STATISTICS FOR 1985-86 SHOWED THE MEDIAN RENT-INCOME RATIO FOR HOUSEHOLDS REHOUSED IN THAT YEAR WAS 12.4 PER CENT,

/+OF THESE