WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1976
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LET ME GIVE YOU THE MOST IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF WHAT I MEAN : CRIME IS NOW BEING CONTAINED, BUT HAS YET TO BE REDUCED. THE GOVERNMENT IS FAR FROM COMPLACENT ABOUT CRIME AND IS DETERMINED TO DEAL WITH IT. SO THE POLICE FORCE WILL BE BROUGHT UP TO A STRENGTH OF OVER 20,000 AND PROVIDED WITH ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS PERSONAL RADIOS FOR MEN ON THE BEAT.
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OF EQUAL PUBLIC CONCERN IS EDUCATION. THE NUMBER OF SUBSIDISED PLACES IN FORMS - 111 OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IS TO BE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN 1976-77 AND PROGRESSIVELY THEREAFTER TO ENABLE THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TO BE HELD FOR THE LAST TIME IN 1977. THIS IS A YEAR EARLIER AND I STRESS A YEAR EARLIER THAN RECOMMENDED IN THE 1974 WHITE PAPER. SO, FROM SEPTEMBER 1978, THERE WILL BE ENOUGH PLACES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THREE YEARS OF SUBSIDISED EDUCATION FOR ALL WHO WANT IT. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THE USE OF A NUMBER OF SHORT TERM DEVICES TO ENABLE MORE CLASSES TO BE RUN IN EXISTING SCHOOLS. AT THE SAME TIME, A START WILL BE MADE IN 1976-77 ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF 33 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FURTHER SCHOOLS WILL BE BUILT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS RESOURCES PERMIT. PROVISION HAS ALSO BEEN MADE FOR 1,600 MORE PLACES IN FORMS IV AND V AND 1,000 MORE PLACES IN SIXTH FORMS IN 1976-77 WHICH WILL REPRESENT SOME PROGRESS TOWARDS THE WHITE PAPER TARGETS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION BEYOND FORM 111- AND THERE WILL BE PLACES FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF 1,000 MORE FULL TIME STUDENTS IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.
BEYOND SECONDARY EDUCATION THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT THE POLYTECHNIC WILL BE INCREASED BY 1,750 AND THE TARGET OF 30,000 WILL BE ALMOST REACHED BY SEPTEMBER 1978. AT THE UNIVERSITIES,
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE TARGET OF 8,850 BY THE DUE DATE OF SEPTEMBER 1977, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED WILL BE INCREASED BY 700 IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1976-77.
SUBSTANTIAL SUMS OF PUBLIC MONEY ARE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING. WORK WILL BE IN PROGRESS DURING 1976-77 ON FLATS WHICH WILL PROVIDE HOMES FOR OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE AND FLATS FOR 94,000 PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY BE COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR. FOR THOSE AWAITING PUBLIC HOUSING, WE SHALL BE EMBARKING UPON A NEW PROGRAMME FOR ADDITIONAL LICENSED AREAS WITH IMPROVED BASIC FACILITIES.
IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, THE PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL WILL BE OPERATING AT ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 1,300 BEDS AND PLANNING WILL START ON A PSYCHIATRIC WING. PLANNING WILL ALSO START ON TWO NEW REGIONAL HOSPITALS, ONE IN EAST KOWLOON AND THE OTHER IN SHATIN. THE SHATIN HOSPITAL WILL PROVIDE THE CLINICAL TEACHING FACILITIES FOR THE NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY.
AS ALWAYS WE HAVE NOT ALLOWED ALL THESE PROMISING IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES TO DIMINISH THE INVESTMENT PUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN ALL WE SHALL BE SPENDING NEARLY $1,100 MILLION IN 1976-77 OR ABOUT $400 MILLION MORE THAN THIS YEAR ON ROADS, THE RAILWAY, THE AIRPORT AND LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT.
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