XN000022-1978-09-22 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1978

MR. HO SAID HE DID NOT WISH TO SUGGEST THAT THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL THE SOCIAL AND PERSONAL PROBLEMS FACING YOUNG PEOPLE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.

+DESPITE ALL THESE EFFORTS THERE WILL STILL BE A MINORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS CANNOT BE MET BY THE BASIC SERVICES AND MASS ACTIVITIES I HAVE JUST MENTIONED.

+ IT WOULD BE A GREAT TRAGEDY IF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE ALLOWED SIMPLY TO DRIFT LIKE RUDDERLESS SHIPS UNTIL THEY FOUNDER ON THE ROCKS OF DELINQUENCY OR CRIMINALITY.+

THE GOVERNMENT HAD THEREFORE PROPOSED IN A GREEN PAPER PUBLISHED LAST NOVEMBER TO EXPAND PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES TO THIS SMALL MINORITY WHO WERE NOT ATTRACTED TO ORGANISED COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND WHO REQUIRED MORE INTENSIVE PERSONAL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING FROM SOCIAL WORKERS SO THAT THEY MAY DEVELOP INTO BETTER ADJUSTED AND RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

THESE PROPOSALS WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, AND THROUGH THESE EFFORTS WE COULD EXPECT THAT MANY OF THE PROBLEMS FACING INDIVIDUAL YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD BE SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED.

+ IT CAN THUS BE SEEN THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING A GOOD SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN WHICH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP INTO HEALTHY AND USEFUL RESOURCES OF THE COMMUNITY, + MR. HO SAID. +OF COURSE, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY AND WE WILL NOT REST ON OUR LAURELS. BUT RATHER ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE NO SLACKENING OF EFFORT BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THESE VARIOUS DIRECTIONS, HE SAID.

WEATHER STATION TO BE BUILT AT CHEK LAP KOK

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TENDERS ARE BEING INVITED BY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR BUILDING A TEMPORARY METEOROLOGICAL STATION AT CHEK LAP KOK ISLAND OFF LANTAU.

THE STATION IS FOR COLLECTING METEOROLOGICAL DATA REQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR AN AIRPORT FOR HONG KONG AT THAT SITE.

THE PROJECT COMPRISES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SINGLE-STOREY BUILDING WITHIN THE EXISTING BEACON COMPOUND IN CHEK LAP KOK AND A PATH FROM THE JETTY TO THE BEACON COMPOUND.

WORK IS EXPECTED TO COMMENCE NEXT MONTH AND BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER THIS YEAR.

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