CO129-629-8 Social policy 1-12-1949 - 31-12-1951 — Page 5

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conditions there for himself with perhaps a less prejudiced eye than an older member of the Hong Kong service. On the other hand he has been in Hong Kong long enough to be in a position to have acquired a sufficient knowledge of the physical difficulties and the psychological atmosphere

I recommend therefore that the whole question of the Hong Kong financial background, and in particular what can be done in the light of that background to improve the housing situation in the Colony, should be y discussed with Mr. Nicol on his arrival.

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Apart from this question of housing, I think that lir. Sidebotham's notes on education policy (No. 3) and on social policy (No. 5), and more particularly the passages in the Annual Report for 1948 and the documents in 12500/17/48, to which he has drawn attention, are sufficient to dispose of the suggestion that Hong Kong is lacking in social conscience or even (in its peculiarly Chinese way) of a cultural conscience. There is indeed a very old, and very admirable tradition of voluntary social work and voluntarily supported social institutions in Hong Kong, to the maintenance of which it has been the practice of the Hong Kong Government to make subventions, the present list of which will be found on pages 87 and 88 of the estimates for 1950. But ever since the reoccupation of Hong Kong it has been recognised by the Hong Kong Government that reliance on voluntary effort is not sufficient. In 1946 a Social Welfare Office was created in the Secretariat for the purpose of coordinating and encouraging the voluntary welfare services, and to supplement them by Governmental activities. The programme submitted at No. 19 on 12500/17/49 is evidence of the vitality of this organisation.

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