XN000022-1994-10-12 — Page 36

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994

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THE COUNCIL

BRINGS

TOGETHER

REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANY

INDUSTRIAL REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

SECTORS AND ORGANISATIONS, AND IS THUS WELL PLACED то

IN CONSIDERING WHETHER A NEW OR EXISTING ORGANISATION COULD BEST DISCHARGE THE PROPOSED FUNCTIONS OF THE APPLIED RESEARCH CENTRE, FACTORS SUCH AS THE ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS OF EXISTING ORGANISATIONS TO DO SO, AND THE SCOPE FOR OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SYNERGIES WOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

PUBLIC HOUSING FOR ELDERLY

FOLLOWING IS A SPEECH MADE BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, IN HIS WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

MR PRESIDENT,

(A) IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, THERE WERE 7 CASES OF CONFLICT BETWEEN ELDERLY PEOPLE IN SHARED FLATS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WHICH RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH. 4 DEATHS WERE CAUSED.

(B) THERE ARE 10,790 TENANTS SHARING ACCOMMODATION IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, 490 COMPLAINTS ABOUT CONFLICT WERE RECEIVED. IN SUCH CASES HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF NORMALLY INTERVIEW THOSE CONCERNED TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE. WHILE MANY DISPUTES ARE RESOLVED OR DEFUSED IN THIS WAY, OTHERS ARE REFERRED TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FOR COUNSELLING AND ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC HELP AND THE PROVISION OF HOME CARE SERVICES.

WHERE DISPUTES APPEAR MORE SERIOUS, TRANSFERS ARE ARRANGED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE.

IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, A TOTAL OF 161 TRANSFERS HAVE BEEN ARRANGED IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES.

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(C) AS WELL AS MAKING UNITS WITH SHARED FACILITIES AVAILABLE ELDERLY TENANTS FOR WHOM SUCH ACCOMMODATION IS SUITABLE, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDES PURPOSE-BUILT SELF-CONTAINED FLATS FOR 1 OR 2-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS AS PART OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. A TOTAL OF 38,000 SMALL FLATS, NEW AND REFURBISHED, WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION TO

OR 2-PERSON AND MOSTLY ELDERLY HOUSEHOLDS FROM 1994/95 TO 1998/99.

THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO ADOPTED OTHER MEASURES то PREVENT AND RESOLVE CONFLICTS AMONG ELDERLY TENANTS. UNDER THE HOUSING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS SCHEME, HOSTEL ACCOMMODATION WITH A WARDEN SERVICE TO HELP RESIDENTS GET ON TOGETHER BETTER IS PROVIDED. THERE ARE NOW 15 HOUSING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS PROJECTS, WITH ANOTHER 38 PROVIDING 4,900 PLACES COMING ON STREAM IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.

IN

OFFICERS ESTATES.

ADDITION, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT STARTED AN ESTATE LIAISON SCHEME IN 1991 TO LOOK AFTER THE ELDERLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING THIS SCHEME HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO TEN ESTATES.

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