GRO 285
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG Ø20135Z DEC 78
TPROUTINE F CO
Sex 153
НКК 341
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1383 OF 2 DECEMBER
INFO PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON EX
IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
No
341/1
4 DEC 1973
QE
IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 29 NOVEMBER ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND ITS EFFECT ON SOCIAL SERVICES, THE CHIEF
ECRETARY MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA:
(1)
DURING THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO HONG KONG TOTALLED 72,429 OF WHOM 50,249 WERE FROM CHINA (THIS COMPARED WITH EG 42,718 - 20,972 FROM CHINA DURING 1977):
150
(11) IF THE PRESENT LEVEL OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA CONTINUED, IT WOULD RAISE THE EXISTING MEDIUM POPULATION PROJECTION
FOR 1986 FROM 5.2 MILLION TO 5.6 MILLION, IE AN INCREASE NOT FAR SHORT OF THE PRESENT POPULATION OF TSUEN WAN :
(111) TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES FOR SUCH AN INCREASE WOULD INVOLVE ABOUT 2,400 MORE HOSPITAL BEDS OR TWO HOSPITALS THE SIZE
OF PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL:
(IV) THE EFFECT OF HOUSING PLANS WOULD INVOLVE BUILDING ABOUT
60,000 ADDITIONAL FLATS, ¡E AND A HALF YEARS' PRODUCTION
AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S PRESENT RATE OF BUILDING:
+
(V) THERE WOULD ALSO BE A NEED TO BUILD ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS,
ALTHOUGH THE PRECISE NUMBER WOULD DEPEND ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION OF IMMIGRANT CHILDREN:
(VI) IF THE DAILY AVERAGE OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WENT ON AT THE
SAME RATE AS SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER (254 DAILY OVER THE FIRST TWO MONTHS AND 329 SO FAR FOR NOVEMBER), THE ABOVE FIGURES
WOULD BE EVEN HIGHER AND THE PRESSURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES EVEN
GREATER,
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HKGD
FED
MVD
¿..
COPIES TO:
HKGO.