XN000022-1978-10-11 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978

THE REORGANISATION, HE SAID, WOULD INVOLVE SOME SHIFT OF EMPHASIS FROM THE HEADQUARTERS OF SOME DEPARTMENTS TO REGIONAL OFFICES IN THE MAIN CENTRES OF POPULATION.

+AS THIS CHANGE IS GRADUALLY IMPLEMENTED IT WILL PROBABLY AFFECT ALSO THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, SO THAT HE WILL BE LESS INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION AND MORE CONCERNED WITH THE BROAD ISSUES, SUCH AS THOSE WITH WHICH THE HEUNG YEE KUK IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED, + SIR MURRAY SAID.

ON SOCIAL WELFARE, SIR MURRAY ANNOUNCED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY. THE PROGRAMMES ENVISAGED IN THE WHITE PAPER WOULD, AT 1978 PRICES, INVOLVE $223 MILLION IN CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND AN INCREASE OF $513 MILLION IN THE LEVEL OF RECURRENT EXPENDITURE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

ON HOUSING, SIR MURRAY SAID CONSTRUCTION WAS NOW PROCEEDING ON NO LESS THAN 57 PROJECTS WITH A CONTRACT VALUE OF OVER $2,200 MILLION. THE CURRENT PROGRAMME WAS AT LAST REACHING FRUITION AND COMPLETIONS WOULD RISE FROM 18,000 FLATS THIS YEAR TO 45,000 NEXT YEAR AND WOULD BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN 40,000 AND 45,000 LEVELS UNTIL 1985.

THIS MEANS THAT EACH YEAR A QUARTER OF A MILL ION PEOPLE WILL BE HOUSED.

SIR MURRAY SAID A NUMBER OF NEW LABOUR LEGISLATION WOULD BE INTRODUCED DURING THE CURRENT SESSION, THESE WOULD INVOLVE EXTENDING CHILD EMPLOYMENT CONTROL TO THE NON-INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, THE PROTECTION OF MORE NON-MANUAL WORKERS, THE CONTROL OF WORKERS SAFETY IN THE USE OF ELECTRICITY, AND THE CONTROL OF FIRE SAFETY IN INDUSTRY.

ON EDUCATION, SIR MURRAY SAID A WHITE PAPER WOULD SHORTLY BE PUBLISHED CONTAINING REVISED PLANS ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION. AS WELL AS PROVIDING FOR A GREAT EXPANSION OF PLACES THE WHITE PAPER WOULD REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHES TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION.

REVIEWING PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT, SIR MURRAY UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR SPREADING OUT OF THE CITY INTO NEW AREAS SO AS TO ACHIEVE NOT ONLY BETTER LIVING STANDARDS BUT NEW ENVIRONMENT, NEW INDUSTRY AND NEW ECONOMIC FLEXIBILITY.

HE SAID THIS YEAR'S PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME WOULD EXCEED $3,000 MILLION AND MAY VERY WELL RISE NEXT YEAR TO PROVIDE FOR THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE OF HONG KONG IN THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS.

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