XN000022-1991-01-23 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1991

BE

"THE BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS SUCH, AND CAN EXPECTED TO REMAIN SO, THAT THERE IS NO HOPE OF PROVIDING FAMILIES REHOUSED THROUGH THE WAITING LIST WITH FLATS ON HONG KONG ISLAND OR URBAN KOWLOON.

"IF AND WHEN A SMALL NUMBER OF FLATS SHOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO WAITING LIST APPLICANTS, THESE WILL FIRST BE OFFERED то THOSE ON THE LIST FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS AND CERTAINLY NOT TO NEW APPLICANTS, HE SAID.

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MR TSAO STRESSED THAT IN ORDER NOT TO RAISE FALSE HOPES, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT NEW APPLICANTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED то MAKE THEIR CHOICE FROM AMONG THE SIX OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THERE WAS A REASONABLE PROSPECT OF FLATS BECOMING AVAILABLE.

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THIS DECISION WOULD ALSO AVOID A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF ABORTIVE WORK IN PROCESSING APPLICATIONS FROM FAMILIES WHO WERE, THE TIME OF THE OFFER, UNWILLING TO ACCEPT REHOUSING IN THE DISTRICTS WHERE FLATS WERE IN FACT AVAILABLE, HE SAID.

"THE COMMITTEE IS WELL AWARE OF AN APPARENT INEQUITY' IN NOT GIVING NEW APPLICANTS THE FULL RANGE OF CHOICES, BUT FEELS NONETHELESS THAT A PROVISION FOR THE APPLICANT TO STATE A PREFERENCE WITHOUT ANY PROSPECT OF SUCCESS HAS NO PRACTICAL MEANING ΤΟ THE APPLICANT.

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INDEED, IT MIGHT EVEN MISLEAD HIM INTO REMAINING INTO LONGER THAN WOULD BE NECESSARY IN INADEQUATE PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION, HE SAID.

MR TSAO ADDED THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD REVIEW THIS DECISION IN THREE YEARS' TIME IN THE LIGHT OF THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND SITUATION PREVAILING THEN.

PROCESSING TIME OF CNCC REASONABLE: S FOR S

THE

CRIMINAL NEED FOR THE HON

PRESENT PROCESSING TIME FOR A CERTIFICATE OF NO CONVICTION (CNCC) IS NOT UNREASONABLE, AND THERE IS NO FURTHER MEASURES TO REDUCE IT, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, ALISTAIR ASPREY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HUI YIN-FAT, MR ASPREY SAID THE AVERAGE WAITING TIME FROM REGISTERING AN APPLICATION FOR A CNCC TO BEING INTERVIEWED WAS ABOUT SEVEN WEEKS.

HE SAID A CERTIFICATE COULD NORMALLY BE ISSUED 21 WORKING DAYS AFTER AN INTERVIEW.

MR ASPREY SAID ADDITIONAL PART-TIME STAFF HAD BEEN RECRUITED TO THE CNCC OFFICE TO COPE WITH THE WORKLOAD.

/ALL APPLICANTS