Transcript of remarks by SLW on elderly care facilities in tender awarded for site in Kai Tak

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on residential care home for the elderly and day care centre for the elderly to be constructed by the purchaser in a tender awarded for a site in Kai Tak after attending a radio programme this morning (May 19):

Reporter: … why developing elderly homes in private developer projects is an easier option than setting up in subsidised housing projects? What's the scale you are talking about?

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Recently, there was a Land Sale Programme tender. In the site, two elderly projects (a residential care home for the elderly and a day care centre for the elderly) are included. I expect the whole process can be completed in a relatively shorter period of time. 

     When we talk about project that is housed in public sites, let's say public projects like public housing or other public development, it would take around eight years or even longer. But if we put it under a private development, normally it would take something like five years or at most seven to eight years. So, it definitely reduces the time needed for the development of residential homes for the elderly. So, we will seriously consider in the future, the future Land Sale Programme, when as appropriate we would be able to include elderly residential homes in those development.