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immense influx of rofugees from China since the Second World War, and has plans for additional housing which will bring the percentage of those in government housing up to 64% by 1986 by which time it estimates that the back of the problem will be broken. Moreover, we assume that, on past performances, this target should be well realizeable within projected levels of public expenditure. However
However, it is arguable that standards of accommodation so provided will be too low certainly as compared with Singapore. The Hong Kong Government should be asked to make proposals by 1 January 1978 for the improvement of standards on the assumption that the programace will not result in fewer people being housed.
28.
The Hong Kong Government's plans in the fields of education and health certainly compare well with those in Singapore and in the field of education considerable efforts have been made to relate those to estimated manpower requirements in certain industries. We believe that educational plans are the most that can reasonably be implemented over the next 5 years, but thereafter, better provision for those over 15 should be ained at and a plan prepared by 1 January 1979. Medical care seens, on the whole, well catered for (being, for instance, well in advance of Singapore) and there are plans for further expansion over the time scale of this paper.
Institutional Refor
29. Institutional reform is beset with a number of difficulties peculiar to Hong Kong. The normal Westminster pattern of elected Government is barred by the attitude of the Chinese (see Annex C). On the other hand, HMG will wish to be convinced that the appointed members of Councils are drawn from the widest possible social background. In our view, the best way of achieving this lies in the policies on institutional change being developed by the present Govenor. The consolidation of the system of mutual aid committees; the promotion of natural leaders from the lower income groups omerging at this level to advisory committees and eventually to the Legislative Council should be encouraged. Some expansion of the Legislative Council is also desirable, to enable it to deal with the increasing sophistication of Government and with the extra-legislative duties of unofficial members. The most important of these is the collective function of ombudsman. In 1975 combers dealt with 3,115 cases and obtained administrative redress in 22% of then. Clearly, the
/appointment
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