XN000022-1992-05-19 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1992

MR GOODLAD TO VISIT HONG KONG

FOR FOREIGN

THE RT HON ALISTAIR GOODLAD MP, MINISTER OF STATE AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, WILL VISIT HONG KONG FROM 24-28 MAY.

BACKGROUND

THIS WILL BE MR GOODLAD'S FIRST OVERSEAS VISIT SINCE TAKING HIS APPOINTMENT AS MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.

HONG KONG, AT THE HE IS ALREADY TERRITORY AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING MANY OLD FRIENDS.

FAMILIAR WITH THE

THE AIM OF THIS VISIT WILL BE FOR MR GOODLAD TO UP TO DATE WITH THE MANY ISSUES OF CURRENT CONCERN IN

BRING HIMSELF MEET AS MANY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND TO LISTEN HONG KONG, ΤΟ TO THEIR VIEWS. IN ADDITION TO LOCAL POLITICIANS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS, HE WILL BE HAVING MEETINGS WITH BUSINESSMEN, COMMUNITY LEADERS, PROFESSIONALS AND ACADEMICS.

MR GOODLAD WILL BE SPENDING SOME TIME IN A NEW TERRITORIES, WHERE HE WILL VISIT A SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS. HE WILL ALSO BE VISITING ONE OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS AND THE SITE OF THE NEW AIRPORT.

YOUNG

COMMUNITY IN THE AND OTHER LOCAL THE CENTRES FOR

THE

INCOME RANGE OF SANDWICH CLASS DEFINED

* * *

WORKING GROUP ON SANDWICH CLASS HOUSING CHAIRED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, TODAY (TUESDAY) DEFINED THE SANDWICH CLASS AS FAMILIES WITH A MONTHLY INCOME OF BETWEEN $18,000 AND $40,000.

$18,000 ARE

"THE FAMILIES WITH A MONTHLY INCOME OF BELOW ALREADY ELIGIBLE FOR SUBSIDISED HOUSING UNDER EXISTING POLICY, WHILE THOSE WITH A MONTHLY INCOME ABOVE $40,000 SHOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE MONTHLY MORTGAGE OF A PRIVATE SECTOR FLAT," MR EASON SAID.

"ON THE BASIS OF THE 1991 CENSUS, IT IS ESTIMATED ARE ABOUT 40,000 TO 45,000 POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FAMILIES INCOME RANGE OF $18,000 AND $40,000.'

"

THAT THERE WITHIN THE

THE

GIVEN THE LARGE POOL OF POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FAMILIES, WORKING GROUP CONSIDERED THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY ΤΟ CONSIDER ALLOCATING SOME PRIORITY FOR ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE GROUP.

SCALE

"FOR INSTANCE, SINGLETONS AT THE HIGHER END OF THE SHOULD PERHAPS HAVE LOWER PRIORITY THAN FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AT THE LOWER END OF THE SCALE, MR EASON SAID.

INCOME

"MORE DETAILED