HKK 280
GRS 450
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 151040Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
10
HKK 180/4.
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 1150 OF 15 NOVEMBER
INFO PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (F C O PASS).
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 910
ANTHONY ROYLE.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS BY SIR
INFORMATION ON WHICH TO BASE REPLIES TO THESE QUESTIONS IS
AS FOLLOWS:
(1) THE INCREASE OF GDP IN REAL TERMS OF 1975 OVER 1974 WAS 3%. THE ESTIMATED INCREASE OF 1976 OVER 1975 IS BETWEEN 13-19%.
(2) THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE AVAILABLE BY SEPTEMBER 1978 SUFFICIENT SECONDARY EDUCATION PLACES FOR ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS. IN SEPTEMBER 1976 THERE WERE 216,365 SUBSIDISED SECONDARY EDUCATION PLACES, AN INCREASE OF 11,500 OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. BY SEPTEMBER 1978, A FURTHER 45 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PROVIDING A TOTAL OF 48,100 PLACES, AND A FURTHER 22 NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS WILL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
(3) THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO BUILD ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE BY 1984/85, BY WHICH TIME DECENT SELF-CONTAINED HOUSING, AT HEAVILY SUBSIDISED RENT, WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF LOWER INCOME FAMILIES. HOWEVER, THERE WILL STILL BE A NEED FOR MORE PUBLIC HOUSING TO BE BUILT AFTER 1984/85 TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF REDEVELOPING THE OLDER PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
ABOUT 2 MILLION PEOPLE, OR 45% OF THE POPULATION NOW LIVE IN SUBSIDISED HOUSING. THIS PERCENTAGE IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 65% IN 1984/85. EVERY ENCOURAGEMENT IS BEING GIVEN TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BUILD AND TO DEVELOP SELF-CONTAINED HOUSING FOR THE
BETTER-OFF FAMILIES IN HONG KONG,
HKK 360/1
HKK 360,
CONFIDENTIAL
THE GOVERNMENT