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2.
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Many respondents who had been following Government policies closely refrained from commenting at this stage mainly bed šé detailed information on the various proposals were still not
available.
5.
The
Points which attracted most public attention were:-
(a) Water restriction.
(b)
(c)
Free and compulsory junior secondary education. Social security measures.
(d) Home ownership scheme.
above were not put in any order of priority as the public response varied from district to district.
6.
Significantly, there was little or no spontaneous public comment about the crime situation or the ICAC. The public appeared to have accepted tacitly that social order had generally improved. There was also relatively little feedback regarding the provisions made for leisure and recreation or the designation of Country Parks. Some younger respondents said that they had been making use of the facilities already any way.
Some observations on the major topics of public concern
Water Restriction
7.
Respondents were on the whole disappointed to learn that the current water restriction would remain in force until the
onset of next summer. Some claimed that the existing level of water storage of 4,440 million gallons, plus delivery from China (30,000 million gallons) and the daily production from Lok On Pai Desalting Plant would guarantee adequate water supply for the total population on a 24-hour basis until early spring of 1979 even if there was no rainfall between now and then. They criticised the Government and in particular, the Water Supplies Department for being over cautious.
8.
Respondents remained critical of the current restriction and the inconvenience caused, they urged that there should at least be extended water supply until noon every day and that restriction measures should be relaxed on festivals and Chinese New Year. (There had been much complaint that water supply had not been relaxed during the Mid-Autumn Festival.)
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