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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
THESE FIGURES WERE HIGH COMPARED WITH MANY COUNTRIES, ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.
ELABORATING ON THE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE HIGH AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY, HE SAID THE COMMUNITY WAS PROVIDED WITH A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES WHICH WERE AVAILABLE AT NOMINAL COST.
+ IN PARTICULAR, THE EXTENSIVE PACKAGE OF PREVENTIVE CARE SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH SUCH CHANNELS AS CLINICS, THE PORT HEALTH SERVICE AND THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE HAVE ENSURED THAT PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AT A HIGH LEVE, HE SAID.
+ INCREASED PROSPERITY IN RECENT YEARS LEADING TO AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITION OF OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE HIGH AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN HONG KONG,+ HE ADDED.
RETENTION OF DESALTING PLANT UP FOR REVIEW
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THE GOVERNMENT WILL REVIEW THE QUESTION OF RETAINING ITS SEAWATER DESALTING PLANT AT LOK ON PAI, CASTLE PEAK, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN, TOLD THE LÉGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE REVIEW WOULD TAKE PLACE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
MR CHAN WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON CHIU HIN-KWONG, WHO HAD ASKED WHETHER IT WAS NECESSARY TO KEEP THE DESALTING PLANT AT AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COST OF $4.3 MILLION WHEN $1.75 BILLION WOULD BE SPENT IN THE 12-YEAR PERIOD UP TO 1995 TO BRING IN WATER FROM CHINA.
+FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE IT IS STILL CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO RETAIN THE DESALTING PLANT AS A STANDBY RESERVE BECAUSE THE TRANSFER SYSTEMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER ARE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THERE ARE TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS IN OBTAINING ANY EXTRA SUPPLIES IN EXCESS OF THE AGREED QUANTITIES SHOULD THE NEED ARISE, + MR CHAN SAID.
HOWEVER HE SAID THAT WHEN WORKS ON THE CHINESE SIDE WERE COMPLETED AND RECEPTION AND DELIVERY FACILITIES IN HONG KONG WERE SUFFICIENT, THERE WOULD BE SPARE CAPACITY TO DRAW EXTRA WATER FROM CHINA OVER THE AGREED QUANTITIES IF REQUIRED.
IT WAS THEREFORE INTENDED TO EXAMINE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR THE QUESTION OF RETENTION OF THE DESALTER IN RELATION TO THE FACILITY TO OBTAIN EMERGENCY SUPPLIES FROM CHINA.
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