******************************************
In response to the procession today (July 1), a Government spokesman said that the HKSAR Government fully respected people's rights to take part in processions and their freedom of expression.
On the property market, the spokesman stressed that the Government would continue to closely monitor the market, and take appropriate measures as and when necessary to ensure its healthy and stable development.
"The Government understands that behind the calls for the resumption of the Home Ownership Scheme is the aspiration for more opportunities to purchase affordable homes. The Chief Executive will respond to the issue in this year's Policy Address," the spokesman added.
As for the bill on the replacement mechanism for filling the vacancies in the legislature, the spokesman said that the introduction of the bill was in response to the public aspirations to plug the loophole in the existing mechanism which allows abuses of the by-election system. In the light of the views expressed by different sectors of the community, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau has put forth a revised set of proposals, which are fair, reasonable and transparent.
"The revised proposals are legal and constitutional. By-election is not the only legal means to fill a temporary vacancy and that neither the Basic Law nor the Hong Kong Bill of Rights requires that a vacancy in the legislature be filled by means of a by-election. Filling vacancies through the proposed replacement mechanism would not constitute a breach of the Basic Law or be deemed a deprivation of the right to elect or get elected," the spokesman said.
On the issue involving non-local pregnant women, "It is incumbent upon the Government to ensure that local pregnant women are given adequate medical services. The eligibility for the highly subsidised public healthcare services, including obstetric services, is always based on the status of the service user. In view of the problems facing some of the cross-boundary families, the Food and Health Bureau is considering ways to help them within the framework of the existing policies," the spokesman added.
The Government also took heed of other public aspirations expressed in today¡¦s procession. "The Government attaches great importance to public views and will continue to listen in a humble manner to better address the needs of the people," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, July 1, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:14
NNNN
