XN000022-1995-03-17 — Page 5

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He regretted that some members of the group resorted to violence. This led to the arrest of three people (including a social worker) and subsequently the laying of charges of common assault or assaulting police officers.

"Violence will not serve any useful purpose. This is particularly so when we already have well-established procedures to take care of those to be cleared from their illegal structures," he said.

Mr Wong repeated his appeal to all rooftop occupants who wished to be rehoused in public rental flats to come forward to register with the Housing Department and place themselves on their General Waiting List.

"This is the proper way to ensure that they will be considered for rehousing together with other eligible applicants on the General Waiting List on a fair and equitable basis."

He emphasised that the existing rehousing criteria were reasonable and fair, and should not be changed in favour of a particular group.

"We do not consider it reasonable to provide immediate rehousing in public rental flats for rooftop occupants who do not satisfy the eligibility criteria. To do so would lead to accusations of 'queue jumping', which would be unfair to other eligible applicants already on the General Waiting List," he said.

End/Friday, March 17, 1995

FS thanks businessmen for support of 1995/96 Budget

The Financial Secretary, Sir Hamish Macleod, today (Friday) thanked businessmen for their support of the 1995/96 Budget and urged them to adopt a realistic approach in assessing the economic prospects for Hong Kong.

Speaking to the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Sir Hamish said the public reaction to the Budget had been balanced and positive, noting that the two most frequently used words to describe it were "conservative" and "cautious".

He said the projected level of reserves at $151 billion by March 1997 was a comfortable and reassuring cushion - both to the local community and the international audience - during the transitional period.