FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
PM LEAVES HONG KONG
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THE PRIME MINISTER, MRS MARGARET THATCHER, LEFT HONG KONG FOR WASHINGTON DC THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING.
SEEING HER OFF AT THE AIRPORT WERE THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, MAJOR-GENERAL DEREK BOORMAN, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ROGER LOBO, THE DOYEN OF THE CONSULAR CORPS, MRS FELICIDAD BENGZON-GONZALES, THE SENIOR COMMONWEALTH COMMISSIONER, MR KOH LIAN HWI, AND THE CONSUL-GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, MR BURTON LEVIN.
BEFORE LEAVING, MRS THATCHER WISHED EVERYONE IN HONG KONG
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
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SIR GEOFFREY BRIEFED ON DEVELOPMENTS
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ABOUT 1 000 HECTARES OF NEW LAND WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MEET THE POPULATION GROWTH UP TO THE YEAR 2001, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, WAS TOLD DURING A HARBOUR CRUISE TODAY (FRIDAY).
SIR GEOFFREY AND LADY HOWE WERE ACCOMPANIED DURING THE TOUR ON BOARD THE LADY MAURINE BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, LADY YOUDE, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, DR NIP KAM-FUN, AND THE DEPUTY SECRETARY (LANDS), MR TONY EASON.
HE WAS TOLD THAT IN THE LATE 1970'S, IT BECAME CLEAR ONCE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWNS WAS COMPLETED IN THE EARLY 1990'S, NEW AREAS MUST BE FOUND FOR FURTHER MAJOR URBAN GROWTH.
A STRATEGIC PLANNING UNIT WAS SET UP IN 1980 TO ASSESS LIKELY DEMAND FOR DEVELOPMENT UP TO THE YEAR 2001.
SIR GEOFFREY LEARNED THAT STRATEGIC STUDIES HAD EXAMINED FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSING AND JOBS AND ALL RELATED URBAN LAND USES.
THE POPULATION PROJECTION USED THROUGHOUT THE STUDIES WAS 7.1 MILLION BY THE END OF THE CENTURY, COMPARED WITH THE PRESENT ESTIMATED POPULATION OF 5.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
IT IS FORECAST THAT EXISTING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES WILL PRODUCE ACCOMMODATION FOR ABOUT 900 000 PEOPLE, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE ACCOMMODATED TO 6.2 MILLION BY THE EARLY 1990'S.