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The honourable member refers to a widening gap between the rich and poor in Hong Kong. I'm not entirely sure what figures he's referring to, whether he's referring to increases in personal income or to other figures. What is true is that by and large, everybody has got better off, though some have become even better off than others, but the honourable member is right to say that as a prosperous community we have a particular responsibility to those who are not well off, to those who are in need, to those who are deprived, to those who are handicapped, to those who are sick, to those who have other sorts of need, and we recognise that responsibility, which is one reason why social welfare payments have increased in the last five years by 66 per cent, while at the same time we've kept public spending growth within the overall growth rate in the economy because during the same period, spending as a whole has increased by 30 per cent against a 32 per cent increase in our GDP. So what we've been doing is reallocating resources sensibly so that while we have a prudent control of public spending, we give more to those who need it.
The honourable member also mentioned the pension scheme. I assume by his body language that the honourable member voted for the pension scheme yesterday. All I can say is, why didn't we have the honourable gentleman a few months ago when we needed him, when we had a discussion about the pension scheme in this Legislative Council, we'd love to have had the honourable gentleman then supporting the Government in its hour of need. Unfortunately, when that debate took place only one member of the Legislative Council supported anything like the pension proposal we'd put forward. We can't to and fro, come and go on this issue in favour of pensions in the spring and the autumn, in favour of mandatory provident funds in the summer and winter. We actually have to take a view and stick to it. We tried to implement the pension scheme. I don't recall when I was out arguing for it in front of the television cameras, very many legislators joining me in that enduring battle. W. K. Lam and I were out there arguing for it, I don't remember anybody else being around to help. When the Legislative Council gave that a thumbs down, we conscientiously brought forward further proposals, they gained a mandate in this Council and we're now trying to implement them and will continue to try to implement them and if we can't, then I'm afraid any proposals for the long-term financial support of the elderly will have to wait. But it won't be the Government which is to blame for them waiting.
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