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Resources have been committed to a number of immediate measures which are being implemented. These measures include establishing dedicated urban renewal teams in the Planning, Environment and Lands Branch, Lands Department and Planning Department, and commissioning studies to prepare for the introduction of a building safety inspection scheme. Resources have also been earmarked for other measures, including granting land at reduced premium to the Hong Kong Housing Society for the construction of rehousing units, and testing the linked-site approach by which a profitable site is granted to cross-subsidise a financially non-viable redevelopment project.

In the longer term, we are considering a number of proposals which will likely have significant resource implications for the Government. These proposals include transforming the Land Development Corporation into an Urban Renewal Authority, and setting up a rehabilitation fund to provide low-interest or interest-free loans to owners of domestic units to renovate common parts of buildings and upgrade building services.

End

Standard licentiate examination

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Huang Chen-ya and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Doris Ho, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

of the number of candidates who took the licentiate examination for non- Commonwealth trained medical practitioners in 1996, together with a breakdown of the examination results by different ranges of marks in the written and oral examinations;

of the criteria adopted by the Medical Council of Hong Kong (the Medical Council) in marking and how the pass mark of the licentiate examination is determined; and