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into a shop in 1963 would not be eligible for a resettlement shop in 1964--one year later.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-No, I should say not.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-May I ask the Commissioner if he is aware that this is happening and it is therefore unfair to the man who has been cultivating the land for 9 years and he gets nothing?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was not aware that this is happening, but if Mrs. ELLIOTT, as I have said, has any information on the subject, I would be very glad if she could pass it on to me.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Does the Commissioner know that I have already reported two such cases to him?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I think perhaps recently, "Yes".
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner, through you, that this policy be reviewed in the Policy Select Committee?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes, Mr. Chairman, it is my intention to issue a paper to the Resettlement Policy Select Committee very shortly and certainly in time for consideration at the September meeting.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, one supplementary. What is the position in regard to the review of the ex gratia compensation which had been fixed by Government in 1954? This is in reference to the second paragraph of the Commissioner's reply. Mr. Chairman, was there not an intent on the part of the Resettlement Department to have this reviewed and to have recommendations made to Government?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-That again will be dealt with in another paper for consideration by the Resettlement Policy Select Committee at its September meeting.
(20) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
May we have an explanation why the case of a young man recently released from hospital with incurable tuberculosis was so inadequately investigated for compassionate resettlement that the Head of the Department concerned did not know that:
(a) the man was released because there was no hope of recovery;
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(b) he was unemployable;
257
(c) the family was no longer receiving compensation from a certain welfare organization;
(d) his disease would endanger his neighbours;
(e) he tried to isolate himself but his hut was demolished by the Squatter Control Unit a few days after his discharge from hospital.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
Applications for resettlement on special compassionate grounds are normally investigated by the Social Welfare Department.
I am informed by my friend the Director of Social Welfare that Mrs. ELLIOTT wrote to the officer in charge of his welfare centre at Wong Tai Sin on 14th June suggesting compassionate resettlement for this patient's mother aged 55 and son aged 3, the patient himself being then in hospital. The mother was interviewed by a case-worker on 20th June and visited in her hut at Diamond Hill on 22nd June. The Director of Social Welfare replied to Mrs. ELLIOTT on 30th June saying that he did not feel justified in recommending resettlement, as this small family already had a place to live.
The patient himself had been attending the Kowloon Chest Clinic since 1960; he entered hospital on 29th February, 1964, was discharged on 9th July, and is now again attending the clinic. He is in weak health and unfit for work. In the light of medical reports on the patient, the Director of Social Welfare has reconsidered the matter and has now decided to recommend compassionate resettlement, on grounds of the patient's health, for himself, his mother and his son. They have been offered and accepted a $10 room in Wang Tau Hom Estate. I also understand that the Welfare organization which previously helped the family is willing to continue assistance to the extent necessary.
The answer to the question is that the original investigation took place more than two weeks before the patient's discharge from hospital and could not have taken into account his health or capacity for work on discharge. These latter factors have since justified a favourable recommendation. Medical advice is that his present condition is not such as to endanger his neighbours.
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into a shop in 1963 would not be eligible for a resettlement shop in 1964--one year later.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-No, I should say not.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-May I ask the Commissioner if he is aware that this is happening and it is therefore unfair to the man who has been cultivating the land for 9 years and he gets nothing?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was not aware that this is happening, but if Mrs. ELLIOTT, as I have said, has any information on the subject, I would be very glad if she could pass it on to me.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Does the Commissioner know that I have already reported two such cases to him?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I think perhaps recently,
"Yes".
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner, through you, that this policy be reviewed in the Policy Select Com- mittee?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes, Mr. Chairman, it is my intention to issue a paper to the Resettlement Policy Select Committee very shortly and certainly in time for consideration at the September meeting.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, one supplementary. What is the position in regard to the review of the ex gratia compensation which had been fixed by Government in 1954? This is in reference to the second paragraph of the Commissioner's reply. Mr. Chairman, was there not an intent on the part of the Resettlement Department to have this reviewed and to have recommendations made to Government?
COMMISSIONer for ReseTTLEMENT: -That again will be dealt with in another paper for consideration by the Resettlement Policy Select Committee at its September meeting.
(20) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:
May we have an explanation why the case of a young man recently released from hospital with incurable tuberculosis was so inadequately investigated for compassionate resettlement that the Head of the Department concerned did not know that:
(a) the man was released because there was no hope of
recovery;
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(b) he was unemployable;
257
(c) the family was no longer receiving compensation from
a certain welfare organization;
(d) his disease would endanger his neighbours;
(e) he tried to isolate himself but his hut was demolished by the Squatter Control Unit a few days after his discharge from hospital.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
Applications for resettlement on special compassionate grounds are normally investigated by the Social Welfare Depart-
ment.
I am informed by my friend the Director of Social Welfare that Mrs. ELLIOTT wrote to the officer in charge of his welfare centre at Wong Tai Sin on 14th June suggesting compassionate resettlement for this patient's mother aged 55 and son aged 3, the patient himself being then in hospital. The mother was interviewed by a case-worker on 20th June and visited in her hut at Diamond Hill on 22nd June. The Director of Social Welfare replied to Mrs. ELLIOTT on 30th June saying that he did not feel justified in recommending resettlement, as this small family already had a place to live.
The patient himself had been attending the Kowloon Chest Clinic since 1960; he entered hospital on 29th February, 1964, was discharged on 9th July, and is now again attending the clinic. He is in weak health and unfit for work. In the light of medical reports on the patient, the Director of Social Welfare has reconsidered the matter and has now decided to recommend compassionate resettle- ment, on grounds of the patient's health, for himself, his mother and his son. They have been offered and accepted a $10 room in Wang Tau Hom Estate. I also understand that the Welfare organization which previously helped the family is willing to continue assistance to the extent
necessary.
The answer to the question is that the original investigation took place more than two weeks before the patient's dis- charge from hospital and could not have taken into account his health or capacity for work on discharge. These latter factors have since justified a favourable recommendation. Medical advice is that his present con- dition is not such as to endanger his neighbours.
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