【立法會四題】公務員公共房屋配額計劃 (Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme) ......!

立法會四題：公務員公共房屋配額計劃
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　　以下為今日（二月二十四日）在立法會會議上陳鑑林議員的提問及公務員事務局局長張雲正的書面答覆：

問題：

　　根據公務員公共房屋配額計劃（配額計劃），公務員事務局每年發出通函邀請合資格公務員申請該年度的公務員公共房屋（公屋）配額。該等配額分為一般配額及特別配額，而後者主要給將在十年內退休的初級警務人員和其他紀律部隊員佐級人員申請。近日有已退休紀律部隊人員向本人反映，配額計劃未能解決他們的住屋需要。雖然他們退休前已申請配額計劃下的特別配額以便獲編配公屋單位，但他們退休後一直到被要求遷出部門宿舍時，仍未獲編配公屋單位。就此，政府可否告知本會：

（一）過去五年，每年接獲已退休及行將退休的紀律部隊人員申請特別配額的宗數，以及當中申請人已獲編配公屋單位的個案宗數；當局有否按每年合資格在配額計劃下申請公屋單位的紀律部隊人員數目，調整有關的配額；

（二）鑑於本人得悉，有現居於部門宿舍並兩度申請特別配額但不成功的退休紀律部隊人員再提出申請時遭拒，每名紀律部隊人員最多可以提出多少次申請；現時有多少名合資格的退休紀律部隊人員因申請次數已達到該上限而不得再次提出申請；鑑於紀律部隊人員退休人數據報在未來數年將達高峰，當局會否考慮放寬關於申請次數的限制；

（三）鑑於在退休前已根據配額計劃申請但未獲編配公屋的紀律部隊人員，可在退休後但其申請尚在處理階段期間獲得寬限而無須立即搬離宿舍，現時有多少名該類人員居於部門宿舍，以及當局預計在未來三年每年該類人員的數目為何；當局會否要求未獲編配公屋單位的該類人員遷離部門宿舍；及

（四）當局有否研究如何應付退休紀律部隊人員對公屋單位日益增加的需求？

答覆：

主席：

　　政府設立公務員公共房屋配額計劃（配額計劃）的目的，是酌情地為基層公務員取得較佳入住公共房屋的機會，並不涉及聘用條款或附帶福利。合資格申請配額計劃的人員能否獲得編配單位會受到公共房屋供求變化、選擇的屋邨或地區及相對其他申請人的優先次序所影響。

　　配額計劃下設有一般配額和特別配額，前者適用於文職人員和不合資格申請特別配額的紀律部隊人員，後者則是為合資格紀律部隊人員而設。另一方面，紀律部隊的部門宿舍是由紀律部隊按照既定政策，並在資源許可的情況下，為已婚人員在其服務條件以外所提供的福利。居住在部門宿舍的人員，由離職或開始退休前假期起兩個月內須遷出單位，部門首長可視乎該人員提出的理由把限期延長一個月。此外，假如有關人員已透過配額計劃提交申請，則可在處理期間獲得寬限，惟無論其申請成功與否，必須於結果公佈後兩個月內遷出單位。

　　就有關的四部分問題，現按序回覆如下：

（一）過去五個年度特別配額的申請和編配情況如下：

　　　　　　申請宗數　　　　　　　編配情況
　　　　公屋　居屋　總數　　　公屋       　居屋
計劃　　　　　　　　　　　　（截至2015年　（170多
年度　　　　　　　　　　　　12月31日）　　個配額）
——　　——　——　——　———————　———--

2010/　1 072　237　1 309　305個配額已分配　全數發
2011　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 出配額

2011/　1 428　179　1 607　230個配額已分配　全數發
2012　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 出配額

2012/　2 175　119　2 294　新落成單位的編配 全數發
2013　　　　　　　　　　　已完成，翻新單位 出配額
　　　　　　　　　　　　　的編配仍在進行中

2013/　2 813　120　2 933　新落成單位的編配 發出
2014　　　　　　　　　　　已完成，翻新單位 103個
　　　　　　　　　　　　　的編配仍在進行中 配額

2014/　3 017　218　3 235　新落成及翻新單位 發出
2015　　　　　　　　　　　的編配仍在進行中 106個
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 配額

　　每年度可供編配的公屋配額及種類，由香港房屋委員會（房委會）根據實際情況批出，而房委會已通過由二○一五／一六財政年度開始至二○一八／一九財政年度，每年增加100個配額，即四年共增加1 000個配額。此外，我們亦着手優化配額計劃下的編配安排，使有限的資源可以得以充分被利用。

（二）配額計劃沒有就申請的次數設立上限，在職公務員如具至少兩年連續服務年資，並符合其他資格要求，即可開始提交申請。在按年度發出的通函中，我們已特別清楚地指出正居於部門宿舍的退休紀律部隊人員其最後一次申請配額計劃的時間及資格。

（三）根據保安局提供的資料，截至今年一月一日，香港警務處、消防處、懲教署、香港海關、飛行服務隊及入境事務處共有1 283名已退休的紀律部隊人員仍然居住在部門宿舍。鑑於同事的家庭狀況和個人選擇不盡相同，故現時未能準確估計未來三年會有多少名紀律部隊人員選擇申請公共房屋配額，並在其申請的處理過程中居住於部門宿舍。

（四）政府除了推行配額計劃外，也引入了包括自置居所資助計劃、購屋貸款計劃及非實報實銷現金津貼等措施以滿足公務員在住屋方面的需要。我們會繼續與職方保持聯繫，攜手改善配額計劃的運作效率。

完

２０１６年２月２４日（星期三）
香港時間１６時０２分

LCQ4: Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme
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     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Kam-lam and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Cheung, in the Legislative Council today (February 24):

Question:

     Under the Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme (CSPHQ Scheme), the Civil Service Bureau issues circulars memorandum annually to invite eligible civil servants to apply for civil service public housing (CSPH) quotas for that year. The quotas are divided into general quota and special quota, with the latter earmarked mainly for junior police officers as well as other rank and file officers in the disciplined services who will retire within 10 years. Recently, some retired disciplined services staff members have relayed to me that CSPHQ Scheme cannot address their housing needs. Although they had applied for special quota under CSPHQ Scheme before retirement for allocation of public housing (PH) flats, they had yet to be allocated a PH flat upon retirement and up to the time when they were required to move out of their departmental quarters. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of applications for special quota received from retired and retiring disciplined services staff members in each of the past five years and, among such cases, the number of those in which the applicants were allocated a PH flat; whether the authorities adjusted the relevant quota according to the number of disciplined services staff members eligible for applying for PH flats under CSPHQ Scheme each year;

(2) as I have learnt that some retired disciplined services staff members now residing in departmental quarters, who had applied twice for special quota but in vain, were rejected when they submitted applications again, of the maximum number of times for which each disciplined services staff member may make such an application; the current number of eligible retired disciplined services staff members who are not allowed to submit applications again because the number of times for which they made such an application has reached the upper limit; as it has been reported that the number of retired disciplined services staff members will peak in the coming few years, whether the authorities will consider relaxing the restriction on the number of times for which that they may make such an application;

(3) given that the disciplined services staff members who have submitted applications under CSPHQ Scheme before retirement but have yet to be allocated a PH flat may be granted, while their applications are still being processed, concessions whereby they do not have to move out of the quarters immediately upon retirement, of the current number of such staff members who are residing in departmental quarters, as well as the number of such staff members in each of the next three years as anticipated by the authorities; whether the authorities will require such kind of staff members who have yet to be allocated a PH flat to move out of their departmental quarters; and

(4) whether the authorities have studied ways to address the increasing demand for PH flats from retired disciplined services staff?

Reply:

President,

     The Government set up the Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme (the Scheme) to provide, on a discretionary basis, a better opportunity for lower-rank civil servants to obtain public housing. It is not related to terms of appointment or fringe benefits. Whether an eligible applicant under the Scheme will be allocated a unit will be affected by changes in the demand for and supply of public housing, the estate or district that the applicant chooses and the priority of the other applicants vis-à-vis his/hers.

     There are a General Quota and a Special Quota (SQ) under the Scheme. The former is for civilian and disciplined services staff who are not eligible for the SQ while the latter is designed for eligible disciplined services staff. Separately, under the established policy of the disciplined services departments (DSDs), they provide their married officers with disciplined services departmental quarters subject to the availability of resources as a benefit outside their conditions of service. Officers occupying the departmental quarters shall move out of the units within two months from the date of their departure from service or upon commencement of pre-retirement leave. The heads of departments may extend the time limit by a month having regard to the justifications put forward by the officers concerned. In addition, an officer who has made an application under the Scheme may be allowed to stay in the quarters while the application is being processed. Notwithstanding that, the applicant would be required to vacate the quarters within two months of the announcement of the result of the application regardless of whether it is successful.

     Our reply to the four parts of the question is as follows, seriatim:

(1) The number of applications and the allocation progress under the SQ in the past five years are set out below:

      No. of applications     Allocation progress
       PRH    HOS  Total      PRH          HOS
                             (as at       (170 odd
Scheme                     31.12.2015)    quota
Year                                      places)
------ ----- --- -----   -------------  ---------
2010/ 1 072  237 1 309   305 quota      All quota
2011                     places         places
                         have been      have been
                         allocated      allocated

2011/ 1 428  179 1 607   230 quota      All quota
2012                     places         places
                         have been      have been
                         allocated      allocated

2012/  2 175  119 2 294  Allocation of  All quota
2013                     new flats      places
                         has been       have been
                         completed      allocated
                         while
                         allocation
                         of refurbished
                         flats is ongoing

2013/ 2 813   120  2 933 Allocation of  103 quota
2014                     new flats      places
                         has been       have been
                         completed      allocated
                         while
                         allocation of
                         refurbished
                         flats is ongoing

2014/ 3 017   218  3 235 Allocation of  106 quota
2015                     new and        places
                         refurbished    have been
                         flats is       allocated
                         ongoing

PRH - Public Rental Housing quota
HOS - Home Ownership Scheme quota

     The quota and categories of PRH available for allocation each year are subject to approval of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) taking into account the actual circumstances. The HA has endorsed the increase of 100 units for the quota each year beginning from the 2015/16 Financial Year to the 2018/19 Financial Year, i.e. making available a total of 1 000 additional quota places in the four years. Moreover, we have also started to improve the allocation arrangements under the Scheme with the objective of optimising utilisation of the limited resources.

(2) No upper limit on the number of times of applications is set under the Scheme. Serving officers with at least two years of continuous service and fulfilling other eligibility criteria can start applying. In the relevant annual circular memorandum, we clearly set out the timing for submission of applications and the relevant eligibility criteria under the Scheme for retired disciplined services officers occupying departmental quarters.

(3) According to the information provided by the Security Bureau, as at January 1 this year, a total of 1 283 DSD retirees from the Hong Kong Police Force, Fire Services Department, Correctional Services Department, Customs and Excise Department, Government Flying Service and Immigration Department were still occupying departmental quarters. Since the family circumstances and individual preferences vary from one officer to another, at present we are unable to make an accurate estimate of the number of disciplined services officers who will apply for the PRH quota and continue to occupy departmental quarters when their applications are being processed in the coming three years.

(4) Other than implementing the Scheme, the Government has introduced other measures like the Home Purchase Scheme, Housing Loan Scheme and Non-accountable Cash Allowance to meet the housing needs of civil servants. We will continue to maintain liaison with the staff sides with whom we will cooperate to improve the operational efficiency of the Scheme.

Ends/Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:02

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