XN000022-1980-10-22 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1980

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ON THE SUBJECT OF THE GREEN PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR WONG SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL TO SET UP DISTRICT BOARDS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES WHICH HE SAID WOULD HAVE A DESIRABLE EFFECT ON EVERY ASPECT OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SOCIETY AND CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES, THE GOVERNMENT NATURALLY HAS TO UNDERTAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITIES.

+TO DECENTRALISE PART OF THE POWER OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO THE LOCAL LEVEL SO THAT CIVIL SERVANTS CAN IMPROVE GOVERNMENT SERVICES ON A DISTRICT BASIS THROUGH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE'S NEEDS IS A NECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM, HE SAID.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, HE CONTINUED, WITH THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS, DRASTIC INCREASE IN THE POPULATION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND WITH MORE FACILITIES PROVIDED AND PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE BECOMING EVER MORE COMPLEX, THE PEOPLE, 'OLD' OR 'NEW', ARE FERVENTLY CONCERNED WITH GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION.

+TO ESTABLISH SPECIAL COMMITTEES TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO AIR THEIR VIEWS IS THEREFORE MOST PRESSING,+ HE ADDED.

TURNING TO INCREASING JUVENILE CRIMES MR WONG SAID THIS WAS A MATTER OF GRAVE CONCERN.

HE HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE GREATER SUPPORT TO CERTAIN PERMANENT ORGANISATIONS SUITABLE FOR JUVENILE PARTICIPATION, SUCH AS THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL AND SCOUTS, SO THAT THEIR ACTIVITIES COULD BE KNOWN TO MORE YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FUNCTIONS BROUGHT INTO FULL PLAY.

THESE ORGANISATIONS, MR WONG BELIEVED HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PREVENTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM GOING ASTRAY.

LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM

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THE ONLY EFFECTIVE LONG-TERM MEASURE TO SOLVE THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PROBLEM IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE GUANGDONG AREA IN WHICH HONG KONG MUST TRY TO CONTRIBUTE ALL IT CAN, DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THIS COULD PROVIDE THE MEANS OF FULFILLING THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPIRATIONS OF THE WOULD-BE IMMIGRANTS IN A LEGITIMATE WAY WITHIN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT.

DR HUANG STRESSED THAT IF THE INFLUX WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, EVEN AT A REDUCED RATE, IT WOULD IMPOSE AN INTOLERABLE STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES.

/+IN THE