XN000022-1980-07-16 — Page 22

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In the field of social welfare we have a non-contributory

social security system which ensures that everyone can afford the basic

curit

necessities of life. This income maintenance-scheme is supplemented by

additional allowances on a non-means tested basis for the disabled and

the elderly. In other areas, we have comprehensive plans to expand and

improve services for the disabled, the elderly, for young people and for

the pre-school and primary-school age-groups. I shall not now elaborate

on these plans because I know that you will learn more about them during

the conference. But in spite of all these achievements, there is, as I

have said, still a very great deal more to be done, as you will see.

We are very conscious that Hong Kong must not rest on its laurels. Hong

Kong, in my experience, never does! It has never had the chance to!

And at this time, especially, we are aware that our achievements and

our aims in the field of social services are in danger of being undermined,

due to the massive recent influx of immigrants from China as well as the

refugees the "boat people"

▬▬▬

from Vietnam.

The tragedy of Vietnam has, of course, been highlighted

in international forums, The arrival of the boat refugees was the

most dramatic and tragic event of 1979:

in the first nine months

some 70 000 reached Hong Kong. And how many more of these brave souls

perished on the journey it is impossible to say. To our ever lasting

credit we overcrowded Hong Kong we turned none away. They were

landed as transienta and housed in specially erected or converted camps.

/No one