TNAG-1728-FCO40-2441-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 151

1

2:

3

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

2 2 2 23

24

25

P 26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

have its precious land used for purposes. which do not reflect its real value or yield the maximum return.

[In saying so, I do not mean

the public housing estate tenants should be discriminated against por

penalised by moving them from one remote area to another.

One important

precondition must be observed in any redevelopment plan which involves (☺ the resettling of public housing estate tenants.

other

The newly developed

area has to be self-contained, equipped with adequate social, educational and have community facilities, together with industrial and commercial undertakings to provide employment so that residents there will not be inconvenienced or, feel that they are outcasts of the community. Failure to do so would be unfair to the tenants affected and forced implementation of the plans might just create social unrest. Furthermore, such self-contained design can help reduce the pressure

Residents in the newly developed areas can on transport demands.

This will not

conduct most of their daily activities within the area. only improve transport efficiency but will also help to save public expenditure in coping with the ever growing demand on transport.

to

Student Travel Scheme. We are planning spending $265 million in the

[We coming academic year to reimburse public transport operators in subsidising full-time students on their transport.

The calculations

of the amount of reimbursement was based on survey data from the Transport Department. However, there is no guarantee that this arrangement is the most cost-effective one and can realistically reflect the amount of travel fares the students actually spend. The proposed changes to scheme, which will involve means-tests for applicants, might make the issue more complicated and will boost

I would suggest the Government administration costs tremendously.

thank

consider a use-orientated method in determining the amount of

The principle reimbursement to replace the existing arrangement.

of this method is that the Government will only pay the subsidies

This new arrangement may increase the which are actually incurred. schools' workload in administration, but only to a certain degree.

I believe this is a realistic method as only the actual amount spent will be reimbursed and that it will help further reduce public $7 expenditure in this aspect.

c