HISTORY
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intercity through train services between Hong Kong and cites in Guangdong, Shanghai and Beijing. Seven trains are available daily from Hung Hom to Guangzhou, three of which call at Dongguan, and one terminates at Zhaoqing via Foshan. Trains to Shanghai and Beijing operate on alternate days. Direct bus services operate different routes to Guangdong and other parts of southern China. Daily ferry services run to Guangzhou and other ports in South China.
To keep pace with the development, the Government places strong emphasis on improving and expanding infrastructure. As a result, Hong Kong has been transformed into a modern city with efficient road and rail links, tunnels and flyovers. New highways have opened up previously remote areas and a world-class international airport has been built at Chek Lap Kok. Current and planned projects including railways, bridges and tunnels greatly improve access to the eastern and western New Territories, where about half of Hong Kong's population lives in new towns established to ease the pressure on residential and industrial space in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island.
The development of Hong Kong's economic base has enabled the public sector to increase spending on housing, education, social welfare and health over the years— from $36.6 billion in 1989-90 to an estimated $165.1 billion in 1999-2000.
Hong Kong's public housing programme started with an emergency measure to rehouse some 53 000 people made homeless overnight in a squatter fire on Christmas Day 1953. It has developed into a comprehensive programme which encompasses a wide range of rental and home ownership scheme flats with self-contained facilities.
The programme is in line with a long-term strategy to produce more and better housing, to meet outstanding demand and to encourage home ownership in the community. The Hong Kong Housing Authority has primary responsibility for this programme. More than half of Hong Kong's families live in accommodation which they own.
Expenditure on education facilities and improvements has always been a major budget consideration. There are now free and compulsory primary and junior secondary school places for every student up to the age of 15 years. In 1999, the Government subsidised Secondary 4 places for 85 per cent of the 15-year-olds in a continuing programme.
Government and non-governmental organisations have made major social welfare advances in the past decade, with expenditure increasing from $4.28 billion in 1989-90 to $29.94 billion during 1999–2000. At the same time, social services have developed from providing emergency relief into today's diversified and comprehensive network.
Medical and health services are also undergoing continuous development programmes. In 1999, construction works for the Tseung Kwan O Hospital, the Kowloon Medical Rehabilitation Centre and the Butterfly Beach Laundry, reprovisioning of the South Kwai Chung Specialist Out-patient Clinic and the Sai Ying Pun Specialist Out-patient Clinic and redevelopment of the United Christian Hospital were completed. Construction works for the Lai King Hospital and other major hospital projects, at a total estimated cost of $4.7 billion, would be completed over the next five years. The Department of Health also plans to provide six additional clinics and polyclinics over the next five years.