XN000022-1983-01-31 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1983

+ABOUT 900 INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND 3 500 WORKERS EMPLOYED IN THESE COMPANIES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY WHICH WILL COVER VARIOUS GROUPS OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, RANGING FROM LIGHT ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY TO HEAVIER ELECTRICAL MACHINERY INDUSTRY, HE ADDED.

INFORMATION SOUGHT FROM INDUSTRIALISTS WILL INCLUDE THEIR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS, PLANS AND VIEWS ON DECENTRALISATION IN A NEW TOWN INDUSTRIAL ZONE, REASONS FOR LOCATIONAL CHOICES, PAST MOBILITY RECORDS, MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED IN SETTING UP OPERATIONS IN NEW TOWNS AND THE IMPACT OF SUCH A MOVE ON PRODUCTION INVESTMENT AND WORKER RETENTION AND RELATIONS.

THE ENQUIRY ON WORKERS WILL COVER SUCH MATTERS AS THEIR PRINCIPAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, PAST MOBILITY RECORDS, VIEWS ON BENEFITS OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT JOB, PREFERENCE FOR WORKING IN A NEW TOWN INDUSTRIAL ZONE, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING FUTURE JOBS AND EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING AND OTHER CONDITIONS IN NEW TOWNS.

+THE DATA COLLECTED WILL BE HANDLED IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE AND NO RESULTS OR FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY CAN BE IDENTIFIED TO INDIVIDUAL RESPONDENTS, DR PRYOR STRESSED.

+QUESTIONNAIRES CONTAINING SUCH DATA WILL BE DESTROYED AFTER ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY RESULTS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.+

THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY ARE EXPECTED TO THROW NEW LIGHT ON THE NUMEROUS ISSUES RELATING TO NEW TOWN PLANNING, SUCH AS TO WHAT EXTENT INDUSTRIAL 1STS WOULD BE WILLING TO RELOCATE THEIR FACTOR IES TO NEW TOWNS IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING PROGRAMMES.

IT WILL ALSO HELP ASCERTAIN TO WHAT EXTENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE MOVED INTO NEW TOWNS WOULD BE WILLING TO GIVE UP THEIR PRESENT JOBS IN THE URBAN AREAS TO TAKE UP LOCAL EMPLOYMENT.

DR PRYOR URGED INDUSTRIALISTS AND WORKERS, WHO WERE SELECTED FOR INTERVIEWS, TO COOPERATE IN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY ANSWERS AS THE FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY WOULD PROVIDE GOVERNMENT WITH A SOLID BASE FOR HELPING TO DETERMINE ITS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND VARIOUS INVESTMENT PRIORITIES.

THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO UNDERTAKE THIS LARGE-SCALE STRATEGIC STUDY BECAUSE OF ITS LONG EXPERIENCE IN CARRYING OUT LOCAL INDUSTRIAL SURVEYS AND TECHNO-ECONOMIC STUDIES.

IN VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE AND THE SPECIALISED NATURE OF THE PROJECT, THE CENTRE WILL REINFORCE ITS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES BY ENLISTING THE SERVICES OF ROGER TYM AND PARTNERS (HK), A U.K. BASED CONSULTANCY RENOWNED FOR ITS SUCCESS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING RESEARCH FOR CENTRAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES.

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