XN000022-1994-10-10 — Page 12

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1994

WE HAVEN'T, AND WOULDN'T, DENY THE RIGHT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ΤΟ DISCUSS THESE MATTERS, BUT WE DON'T THINK THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT A GREAT DEAL THIS SUMMER, AND THAT'S THE CONCLUSION WE CAME TO.

QUESTION:

UNFORTUNATELY, DEPARTMENT

-

←

YOU

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MR GOVERNOR, I AM FROM A THA AND I REPRESENT PEOPLE LIVING AT THAS. ACTUALLY IN 92 93, IN YOUR TWO POLICY ADDRESSES YOU TOLD US THAT BY 97 WE WILL ALL BE RE-HOUSED AND WE WERE EXTREMELY HAPPY. NOW, MR GOVERNOR, YOU ALWAYS KEEP US IN MIND AND YET

UNDER THE DEPARTMENT

IS - THAT

THE HOUSING FOR KEEP POSTPONING THE CLEARANCE DATES.

INSTANCE, IN SOME THAS THEY SAY THAT "OKAY, WITHIN SIX MONTHS TO NINE MONTHS THEY WILL BE CLEARED" AND YET THE DATE IS POSTPONED TIME AND AGAIN AND ORIGINALLY THE DAY WAS SET AT MARCH 94 AND YET THEY STILL STAND. FOR INSTANCE, IN PING SHEK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THAS. FOR INSTANCE, IN PING SHEK SHUN LING. IN PING SHEK THE THA HAS BEEN THERE FOR 20 YEARS AND THE DATE WAS ORIGINALLY SET FOR CLEARANCE AND YET THEY ARE STILL THERE. IT HAPPENS IN OTHER THAS AS WELL.

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IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS THIS YEAR YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT THAS AND YOU SAY THAT BY THE END OF 97 ALL THAS THAT ALL THOSE LIVING IN THAS IN 1993 WOULD BE RE-HOUSED. WHEN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ALLOCATE UNITS THEY DON'T REALLY LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED. FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE ELDERLY PEOPLE, THEY MAY BE OVER 70 AND YET THEY ARE PUT ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR OF A BUILDING WITHOUT LIFTS AND SO OF COURSE THEY WILL REJECT IT AND THEN THEIR CHANCE IS GONE AND SO, YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE KEEPING YOUR PROMISE. SO COULD YOU CLARIFY THE CLEARANCE DATES. DON'T JUST TAKE THE NOTIFICATION DATE AS THE CLEARANCE DATE, ONCE YOU HAVE NOTIFIED US PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE AND ALLOCATION OF FLATS IS PROPERLY DONE. SOME MAY HAVE CHILDREN STUDYING IN THE VICINITY AND THE COUPLE MAY BE WORKING IN THE AREA AND YET YOU SEND THEM AS FAR AWAY AS TIN SHUI WAI. SO IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ADJUST.

ONE FURTHER POINT. TO THE ELDERLY YOU HAVE PRIORITY HOUSING FOR THOSE WITH ELDERLY MEMBERS, BUT NOW THEY HAVE ΤΟ SHARE ACCOMMODATION. ORIGINALLY THIS WAS SAID TO BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PHASED OUT AND ACTUALLY IN TAI WOR ESTATE NOT TOO LONG AGO, WE HAD A TRAGEDY WHERE ONE CHOPPED ANOTHER UP, BUT NOW SUCH ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE STILL PUT TOGETHER AND THEY WILL HAVE TO SHARE ACCOMMODATION. SOME ELDERLY PEOPLE, THEY ARE NOT SINGLE. THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN BUT YOU REFUSE TO ALLOW THEM TO ADD THE NAMES TO THEIR APPLICATION. THEY MUST BE UNDER 18 BEFORE THEIR NAMES CAN BE ADDED AND SO YOU ARE FORCING THESE ELDERLY PEOPLE TO BE SINGLETONS OR SINGLE MEMBERS FOR

So,

MR GOVERNOR YOU HAVE MADE PROMISES. COULD YOU HONOUR YOUR PROMISES? PLEASE FOLLOW UP. PLEASE MONITOR WHAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS DOING TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE DOING WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO. THANK YOU.

ACCOMMODATION.

/GOVERNOR