TNAG-0317-FCO40-353-Policy-of-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-problem-of-s-1971 — Page 50

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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COMMISSIONER for ResettlemENT:-This point was discussed at the interdepartmental meeting. Some insist that an offer should be made in writing giving them seven or fourteen days to make up their minds. In fact, there was quite a lot of discussion on that point. It would be much better to make an offer. If the person doesn't want to take it, well then give it to someone else; it would quicken the process. If you allow an applicant fourteen days to make up his mind, there will be a hold up from behind the queue. There are a lot of details to be worked out yet. Now, with the decision taken, we hope to be able to work out the procedure. I worked out the other day that, with the existing agreed procedure, if everybody agrees with me, the offer and everything, the process will take one week. Otherwise there could be long delays.

MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I promise the Commissioner that I shall keep on asking this question until everything is cleared up.

MR. LO TAK-SHING:-I do have a supplementary, Mr. Chairman, for the Chairman of the Resettlement Management Select Committee. I remember when we took an active part in the Management Select Committee meeting, what was agreed to by the Committee, was that this inter-departmental meeting was not to discuss the procedure involved. It was, in fact, to discuss the criteria used and I am in fact rather surprised with this answer. Perhaps Mr. Hu could verify whether in fact any criteria has been decided for compassionate cases, because, you see, until the criteria has been decided it is rather surprising that the procedure can be worked out.

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I might be able to help in this context. They met to discuss the relaxing of the criteria, but before we can tackle that one the first thing is to clear the backlog. That was the main point. Now we are due to have another meeting within the near future, but we have to clear the backlog first.

MR. Lo:-I think, Mr. Chairman, that what the Commissioner has confirmed is this that, despite the Committee's request to consider the question of criteria what it has done of course, the Government has completely ignored the request and has spent its time discussing the question of procedure instead and I think Mr. Hu will recall that this was contrary to the instructions of the Select Committee.

MR. HU: I should think that Mr. Lo would remember that in all the past years the quota for domestic resettlement have never been completely used. This is why we want the qualification to be lowered so that many poor people who are now not eligible to have resettlement rooms could be given one. This is our aim. I think we should work on this aim. The other thing is to clear the backlog. They could all be resettled if they like as we have never used our quota entirely.