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8
REVIEW
1,070,000 people at an estimated cost of $963 million. For technical planning purposes 10-year targets have been set which raise the combined figure to 2,290,000 by 1974. The estimated cost of reaching these targets is a staggering $2,000,000,000. The maintenance of these programmes will depend on our ability to pay for them and their projection forward will be subject to annual review, but they have been worked out as realistically as possible. The same realism has been applied to the question of who should have first claim upon the new resettlement accommodation, so as to meet cases of urgent need and at the same time maintain the momentum of the overall building programme by clearing areas needed for re-development. The new policy also deals-with those who have no homes but whose priority for permanent resettlement accom- modation is low. Since they cannot be allowed merely to drift into illegal squatting, they will now be able to build their huts under licence in properly administered areas set aside for the purpose.
Not only is the scale of resettlement building being improved but also the quality of the accommodation itself. The blocks now going up on all new estates are a far cry from the basic designs with which the squatter problem was first assaulted. Without sacrificing economy of land—an increase in height to either eight or 16 storeys takes care of that-the new accommodation gives a much greater degree of privacy. Taken together with the flats in the Government Low-Cost Housing estates, and the even more attractive accommodation offered by the Housing Authority, government or government-aided housing is now being provided to meet a broad range of need and income.
During the year our medical, educational and social welfare services have all been subjected to scrutiny. In February a White Paper on the development of medical services was tabled at the Legislative Council and accepted as a guide for the future. As in the case of housing this involved a realistic appraisal of the needs of the community in the light of our ability to pay for what we want. It proceeded from an assumption that half our population are unable to afford unsubsidized out-patient treatment and as many as 80 per cent cannot afford hospital care unless it is wholly or partly subsidized. The White Paper therefore sets out plans for augmented clinic and hospital services over the next eight years designed to meet the most urgent medical and health needs. The