(c)
(d)
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whether medical and educational facilities have been increased accordingly to cater for such newly increased population, so that the resources and standards of the local medical and educational services will not be affected; and
of the ways to tackle the problem of pregnant Chinese women coming to the territory for childbirth, which the Administration has undertaken to discuss with the Chinese authority concerned; what progress has been made so far?
Reply:
Mr President,
(a)
The number of children born to such women in the past three years is as
follows:
L
Children born
Period
to II mothers
Children born to Two-way Permit Holders
1992
2.232
4,606
1993
2,634
6,208
1994
2,324
6,943.
Total
7,190
17,757
(b)
The percentage of deliveries by Chinese women who entered Hong Kong by two-way permits or by illegal means over the total deliveries in public hospitals is about 15%, 19% and 18.5% for 1992, 1993 and 1994 respectively. A detailed breakdown by hospital is at Annex.
Not all such children have automatic right of abode in Hong Kong. Their resident status will depend on the resident status of their father. Our statistics show that during the past 3 years the number of such children granted permission to stay is as follows: