1970 — Page 36

Page 36 of 241

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. HU-I think I have an old paper here with me, and I think I correctly remember that. If the Commissioner would be kind enough to look into his file so that he can see that he indicate this.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-In other words, to clarify the matter further, it isn't so in principle, but it is so in practice?

COMMISSIONER for ResettleMENT:----Usually, it is so in practice.

MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, before I rise to ask Question 11, I wish to thank the Commissioner for writing to me personally supple- menting the answer to my question at the previous public meeting.

(11) MR. PETER C. K. CHAN asked the following question:

I understand that a great number of officers in the Resettle- ment Department are anxious to improve their knowledge of Housing Management:

........

(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement inform this Council as to exactly how many members of his staff are at present attending a housing management course?

(b) Is there any plan to increase the number of these housing management courses for the benefit of these Resettlement Assistants who are keen and eager to advance themselves?

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows :

There are at present 12 senior officers of the Resettlement Department attending the Extramural Course leading to the certificate in housing management at the University of Hong Kong.

Funds have recently been made available for an additional 31 officers to start this Course in the academic year beginning in September 1970.

MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, I hope you don't ask for notice of my supplementary. I understand that in other departments, there is provision for officers to attend a course which is useful for his career, and then later claim for the school fee he has paid. I don't know whether the Commissioner in this respect can tell us if his depart- ment has been considering this so that it will encourage young resettle- ment officers to have their own push.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: I am not quite sure of the point of this question, Mr. Chairman. Funds have been made available for these officers to take this course, in other words, the fees are being paid by Government.

MR. C. K. CHAN:-What I am asking is this. Suppose a young officer attends a course because he is not one of the 31 lucky ones; he attends the course and completes the course and gets his diploma. Can he apply for a refund of the school fee? I understand other departments have this provision. This is the question.

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I think the difficulty in this case, as far as I am aware, is the shortage of actual places in this course. My information is that there are only 60 places. They are all taken up either by the Resettlement Department or the Housing Department.

MR. C. K. CHAN:-The question has not been answered. I under- stand in the Public Works Department that there has been such provi- sion, or in other departments, there has been such provision. If it is a question of whether there are enough places in the Extra-mural course, in the Extra-mural department of the Hong Kong University, of course we can certainly ask the Hong Kong University to do some- thing. But the point is you see, is this facility available because I have been asked by a number of young officers who come and assist me in my Ward duties, if I can ask the Resettlement Department to consider this. I owe this duty to the Government officer who helps me along. However, if the Commissioner needs time to think it over I will be obliged if he will reply to me in private.

COMMISSIONER for ResettlEMENT:-I think I would like to look into this a bit more. It's not quite as simple as Mr. CHAN suggests, but I'll look into it further and then let you know privately, if I may.

MR. C. K. CHAN:-I am much obliged.

MR. SALES: The Commissioner, in reply to Mr. CHAN, said the 60 places were taken up by officers of either the Resettlement Depart- ment or the Housing Department. He used the term "Housing Depart- ment". Is Government creating a Housing Department at the instiga- tion of this Council but not informing the Council that such action has been taken by the Government?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was under the impression, Mr. Chairman, that the Department under the control of the Commis- sioner for Housing was known as the Department for Housing.

CHAIRMAN:-"Housing Division", in fact; this was a "lapsus

linguae".