numbers have stretched our social services to the limit and have
threatened to erode the improvements we have made, so hard-won,
over the past three decades. Now we have to look again at our
plans for education, housing, health and welfare provisions, and
revise them to take into account this much-swollen and swelling
population.
And so yet once more, Hong Kong is having to face up
to an extraordinary, a seemingly impossible, problem. Hong
Kong has overcome this kind of problem before it is true and
I have no Coubt will do so again for I have the greatest
possible respect ad aduiration for the ability of Hong Kong
te overcome adversity: but it will not be easy. Meantime,
and in these circumstances, we shall have a struggle to.
maintain, let alone to improve, the "quality of life"
as I have told you, for us has been so hard-won.
-
which,
I hope that during your stay here you will take the
opportunity to gec a good deal of Hong Kong, its territory.
and its people end examine its development. Your conference
programme is very full, I know, and there will be much to
discuss. I do urge you, though, to make a little time to
explore this city, the countryside (which is quite beautiful)
and our lovely islands. We are unashamedly, proud of our
/Hong Kong and