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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1984
WORKING PEOPLE IN NEW TOWN S
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THE PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKING POPULATION EMPLOYED AND RESIDENT IN NEW TOWNS RANGE FROM ABOUT 20 PER CENT IN SHA TIN TO ABOUT 60 PER CENT IN TSUEN WAN, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM MR CARL TONG ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN NEW TOWNS, MR AKERS-JONES SAID THAT THE FIGURES WERE FROM SURVEYS CARRIED OUT IN 1981 AND 1982.
*THE NEW TOWNS ARE PLANNED AS BALANCED AND SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITIES, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
+GIVEN THE RELATIVELY EARLY STAGE OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND THE RATE OF EXPANSION OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORK FORCE AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF OUR ECONOMY IN RECENT YEARS, I CAN SAY THAT IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW THAT PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THIS CONCEPT OF SELF-CONTAINMENT HAS BEEN REASONABLY SATISFACTORY, HE ADDED.
MR AKERS-JONES NOTED THAT THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY ACTIVE IN PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL ON INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN THE NEW TOWN.
*THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT DIRECT WHICH INDUSTRIES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED AND WHERE THEY SHOULD BE LOCATED, HE SAID.
+ IT PROVIDES THE LAND AND INFRA-STRUCTURE NEEDED TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT, BUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THE PROVISION OF JOBS DEPENDS UPON THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE APPLICATION OF MARKET FORCES,+ HE ADDED.
+THE PROBLEM IN ACHIEVING BALANCED DEVELOPMENT WAS RECOGNISED FROM THE OUTSET, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR A SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN ROADS AND RAIL LINKS BETWEEN THE NEW TOWNS AND THE URBAN AREA, FOR EXAMPLE THE MTR TO TSUEN WAN, THE NT CIRCULAR ROAD, THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY AND THE ELECTRIFIED KCR,+ MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
TRIBUTE TO MR DENIS BRAY
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THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE HON DENIS BRAY, SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, WHO WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
MR BRAY HAD SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL FOR 10 YEARS, AND WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE HERE FOR 34 YEARS.
SIR PHILIP SAID MR BRAY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COUNCIL AND TU THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN OF THE HIGHEST ORDER.
/+HE HAS