XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 48

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18,

1987

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QUOTA SET FOR POLICE CERTIFICATES WITH HQ REDEVELOPMENT

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A DAILY QUOTA OF 200 APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL CONVICTION HAD TO BE INTRODUCED WITH THE PRESENT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN ARSENAL STREET, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, SAID ́ TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON RITA FAN, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THAT, AS A MATTER OF POLICY, THERE WAS NO DAILY LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR SUCH CERTIFICATES.

HE SAID THE AVERAGE DAILY NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS HANDLED IN 1986 WAS 140, WELL WITHIN THE CAPACITY OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE, BUT THE NUMBER DID TEND TO FLUCTUATE.

FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, HOWEVER, QUOTAS OF 200 A DAY HAD TO BE INTRODUCED, NOT BECAUSE OF LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES (STAFF WITHIN THE POLICE FORCE COULD ALWAYS BE REDEPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE) BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED SIZE OF THE PRESENT CNCC OFFICE, HE SAID.

+TO ENABLE THE PRESENT REDEVELOPMENT OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN ARSENAL STREET TO PROCEED, THE CNCC OFFICE HAS BEEN MOVED FROM THERE TO A TEMPORARY LOCATION INSIDE A COMMERCIAL BUILDING,+ MR JEAFFRESON SAID.

HE SAID AS THE PEAK PERIODS WERE SHORT AND INFREQUENT, IT WOULD NOT BE WORTHWHILE TRYING TO RENT LARGER PREMISES.

+WHEN THE CNCC OFFICE MOVES BACK TO THE NEW POLICE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING UPON ITS COMPLETION IN TWO TO THREE YEARS' TIME, MUCH GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN THE USE OF ACCOMMODATION WILL BE POSSIBLE AND TEMPORARY QUOTAS FOR CNCCS SHOULD NO LONGER BE NECESSARY, HE SAID.

CLEARANCE UNLIKELY TO AFFECT HOUSING PROGRAMME

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THE CLEARANCE OF THE KOWLOON WALLED CITY WOULD UNLIKELY HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ONGOING REHOUSING PROGRAMME IN OVERALL QUANTITIVE TERMS, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DONALD LIAO, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CONRAD LAM, MR LIAO SAID THE REHOUSING COMMITMENT ARISING FROM THE CLEARANCE WOULD NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL DETAILED SCREENING HAD BEEN COMPLETED.

/+THIS PROCESS