On the other hand, the ACAN Sub-committee on Treatment and Rehabilitation will concurrently examine how to further strengthen the existing services for female drug abusers and psychotropic substance abusers to better cater for their rehabilitation needs.
Present at the press briefing were the Commissioner for Narcotics, Mrs Clarie Lo; the Chairman of ACAN's Preventive Education and Publicity Sub-committee, Mr Justein Wong Chun; the Chairman of ACAN's Treatment and Rehabilitation Sub- committee Professor Lee Shiu-hung; and the Chairman of ACAN's Research Sub- committee, Professor Daniel Shek Tan-lei. They gave a brief on ACAN's above anti- drug strategy and programmes for 1997/98 having taken into account changes in the drug abuse situation in Hong Kong.
End
Revision to home purchase allowance approved
The Governor-in-Council has approved a proposal to revise the eligibility for the Home Purchase Allowance (HPA) and the amount of the allowance payable to owners of residential units affected by Government resumption.
A. Government spokesman said today (Monday) that apart from statutory compensation, owners of domestic premises resumed by the Government were eligible for HPA, which was an ex-gratia allowance payable to enable the owners to purchase a replacement flat of a similar size in the neighbourhood of the resumed flat.
At present, HPA is paid to the owners, irrespective of whether the premises are vacant, tenanted or occupied by the owners. There is no limit on the number of payments to a single owner who owns more than one property.
"We consider the current arrangements over-generous to non-owner-occupiers and investment owners who do not need a replacement flat to live in," the spokesman said.
"We therefore propose to revise the eligibility for HPA and the amount payable. Under the proposal, owners of tenanted property will get less HPA than owner occupiers. Each owner can get HPA arising from a maximum of two flats per resumption exercise.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.