19
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994
GOVERNOR:
FIRST OF ALL, ELDERLY PEOPLE IN PUBLIC HOUSING. OF COURSE I RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING ELDERLY PEOPLE IN PUBLIC HOUSING BUT I AM EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS FACED BY ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO WANT PUBLIC HOUSING BUT CAN'T GET PUBLIC HOUSING. THERE ARE TOO MANY ELDERLY, PARTICULARLY SINGLE ELDERLY, WHO DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE ACCOMMODATION. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TO LIVE IN CAGES ARE ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT AND ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE AGREED WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS TO PROVIDE 4,000 UNITS OF ACCOMMODATION FOR THE SINGLE ELDERLY BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 WHICH SHOULD MEAN THAT WE HAVE MOVED ALL THE SINGLE ELDERLY WHO ARE AT PRESENT ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY LIST INTO ACCOMMODATION OVER THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD.
WE ARE ALSO TRYING, IN PLANNING NEW ESTATES, TO MAKE SPECIFIC ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE FOR THE ELDERLY AND THERE IS A PROGRAMME FOR PROVIDING ABOUT 22,000 FLATS OR ROOMS FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE IN OUR NEW ESTATES. MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THE ELDERLY, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO ON LIVING INDEPENDENTLY ON THEIR OWN UNLESS THEY ARE TOO FRAIL TO DO SO AND WE MUST TRY TO MAKE THE PUBLIC HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR THAT AND TO PROVIDE THE OTHER FACILITIES, HEALTH AND WELFARE FACILITIES, WHICH ENABLE PEOPLE ΤΟ GO ON LIVING INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR DIGNITY.
YOU THEN MENTIONED RETIREMENT BENEFITS WHICH I REFERRED TO EARLIER. Ι VERY MUCH HOPE THAT BEFORE I LEAVE HONG KONG AT MIDNIGHT ON THE 30 JUNE 1997 - IT'S 999 DAYS AND FIVE-AND-A-HALF HOURS FROM NOW
BEFORE THEN I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE AGREED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWER ON A SCHEME FOR PROVIDING A FINANCIAL SAFETY-NET FOR THE ELDERLY IN HONG KONG.
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FOR 30 YEARS.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM MANY OF OUR ELDERLY HAVEN'T MADE AS MUCH PROVISION FOR THEMSELVES AS THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE PUTTING THEIR SAVINGS INTO EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN, INTO HELPING TO BUILD UP THIS COMMUNITY AND WE THEREFORE HAVE, IN MY JUDGMENT, A SPECIFIC OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE ELDERLY IN A WAY WE HAVEN'T DONE BEFORE. I THINK THE PROPOSALS WHICH WE'VE PUT FORWARD, WHICH WE'RE DISCUSSING AT THE MOMENT, ARE THE BEST APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THAT PROBLEM. WE NEED, OF COURSE, TO DISCUSS THEM WITH CHINA AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY AND I HOPE WE CAN CONVINCE EVERYBODY TO ACT AND ACT SOON.
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IT ISN'T GOING TO BE ANY EASIER TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE IN 1998 OR 1999 THAN IT IS TODAY. INDEED, IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG KONG, WHICH IS VERY GOOD IN MOST WAYS I HOPE IT EFFECTS GOVERNORS TOO - IS THAT WE'RE ALL LIVING LONGER. WE'RE ALL LIVING LONGER BUT OBVIOUSLY IF PEOPLE LIVE LONGER THEY HAVE GROWING FINANCIAL NEEDS AND THAT IS PARTICULARLY THE CASE AS THEY GET RATHER FRAILER AND NEED MORE ACCESS TO HEALTH AND WELFARE FACILITIES AS WELL. SO WHILE TODAY ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF OUR POPULATION IS RETIRED, THAT WILL BE DOUBLED OVER THE NEXT GENERATION. SO DEMOGRAPHY PRECLUDES PUTTING OFF TAKING DECISIONS AND THE SOONER WE GET ON WITH THIS AND TAKE DECISIONS THE BETTER. IT IS A PROBLEM IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL. IN JAPAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ARE MOVING WITHIN THE SPACE, ALMOST LITERALLY OF ONE GENERATION, OF HAVING THE YOUNGEST POPULATION IN THE WORLD TO HAVING ONE OF THE OLDEST POPULATIONS, AND THAT HAS TERRIFIC IMPLICATIONS FOR WELFARE SPENDING AND PENSIONS. BUT I HOPE WE CAN SORT THAT OUT BEFORE 1997. IT IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE SORT OF ISSUE ON WHICH THERE SHOULD BE PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION BETWEEN US AND OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES.
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