54
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 2nd October 1969.
[DR CHUNG] Motion
call for a review of the pertinent legislation on wage protection and Your Excellency's announcement in this respect was, therefore, very timely. Labour is already sharing our economic prosperity in rising wages and reducing hours. These material advancements, accompanied by the proposed greater protection and better fringe benefits in the form of higher priority on wage claims, larger compensation on injury, optional rest days, increased sickness benefits and entitlement to maternity leave, are indicative of our growing industrial maturity. I am sure progressive employers are aware of their responsibilities and will support appropriate legislation to ensure that labour continues to receive a fair portion of our industrial and economic success.
With these remarks, Your Excellency, I have pleasure in supporting the motion before Council.
MR LEE QUO-WEI: -Your Excellency, as you said to us yesterday, the outstanding feature of this year-and indeed of the past ten years- has been the rate of our economic expansion*. This has been so successful that it has brought about marked improvements generally in the standards of living of the people. Today I wish to comment upon the development of public housing†, in which regard you men- tioned that the emphasis in resettlement was shifting somewhat-from providing for new tenants, towards improving standards for those already housed in the older estates.
In addition to those problems already mentioned by you, Sir, it must be admitted that most of these estates lack certain important facilities and amenities†. To illustrate this point, I take the Sau Mau Ping Estate as an example: situated on a hill overlooking Kwun Tong, it houses at present a population of 68,000 and this population is expected to increase to 144,000 by 1973. Even for the size of its present population, not to speak about the future, the amenities and facilities there are very far from being satisfactory. There are no secondary schools and yet these are vitally needed to provide for the convenient enrolment of some 15,000 students now studying in the 12 primary schools in the estate. There is also no library anywhere in this district. Both of these should be provided. For medical care there are only 5 doctors practising in private clinics. Four of them charge low fees by Government arrangement. But there is no public clinic. Indeed, for the whole of Kwun Tong area, with a total popula-
* Page 4. † Page 6.