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LCQ15: The implementation of Marking Scheme in the TPS estates
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     Following is a question by Dr Hon Joseph Lee Kok-long and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, in the Legislative Council today (February 11):

Question:

     Under the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates (the Marking Scheme), points will be allotted to tenants of the Housing Authority (HA) if they have committed a misdeed in the public rental housing (PRH) estate in which they reside; and upon accumulation of 16 points or more within two years, HA may issue a Notice-to-Quit and terminate the tenancy. Regarding the implementation of the Marking Scheme in common parts of the estates under the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS), will the Government inform this Council:

(a)  of the current number of PRH tenants in TPS estates; the number of TPS estates which has not implemented the Marking Scheme in its common parts, and the number of PRH tenants in such estates;

(b)  given that at present the Marking Scheme is not implemented in the common parts of some TPS estates as the consent of the relevant Owners' Corporations has not been obtained, the behaviour of PRH tenants of these estates in the common parts concerned is not bound by the Marking Scheme, while the behaviour of PRH tenants of other estates is, whether the authorities will adopt measures to resolve this problem of inconsistency; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c)  whether it has considered formulating measures so that the behaviour of all PRH tenants in the common parts of the TPS estates in which they reside are bound by the Marking Scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

 
Reply:

President,

     My reply to the three-part question is as follows:

(a)  In the 39 public rental housing (PRH) estates currently included in the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS), there are about 65,000 flats leased to PRH tenants while the remaining some 117,000 flats are self-owned.  Since the Owners' Corporations (OC) shall manage the common areas of TPS estates after the sale of flats in TPS estates by virtue of the powers granted under the Building Management Ordinance (Chapter 344) and the Deed of Mutual Covenant, the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates (the Marking Scheme) is not implemented in the common areas of any of the TPS estates.  The Housing Authority (HA) will enforce the Marking Scheme in respect of misdeeds committed inside the PRH flats in these TPS estates (e.g. accumulating a large quantity of refuse or throwing objects from height).
 
(b)  The behaviour of tenants in common areas of TPS estates, though not covered under the Marking Scheme, is still subject to the provisions of relevant legislation (against misdeeds such as littering, wax-boiling, smoking, spitting and illegal gambling).  In addition, the staff of the Housing Department (HD) will continue to advise the OC on estate management matters and encourage the OC and its estate management agents to report on the misdeeds committed by PRH tenants in the common areas so that the relevant Government departments may take enforcement actions to achieve deterrent effect.

(c)  TPS estates need to be operated and managed according to the Deed of Mutual Covenant and the framework of the Building Management Ordinance.  Nonetheless, as stated above, the staff of the HD will continue to communicate with the OC regarding estate management matters and enhance its efforts in explaining to the OC the management policies of the Housing Authority and the responsibilities of the OC in order to ensure the smooth operation of estate management.

Ends/Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:55

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