XN000022-1986-02-26 — Page 47

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1986

EDUCATION SPENDING NEAR $9 BILLION

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THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS TO SPEND $8.7 BILLION ON EDUCATION AND $4.3 BILLION ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN 1986-87, SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE SAID TODAY.

AND, CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES WILL BE $2.8 BILLION.

SIR JOHN SAID THAT THE $8.7 BILLION EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION IN 1986-87 REPRESENTED 18 PER CENT OF TOTAL CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT EXPENDITURE, COMPARED WITH JUST OVER 14 PER CENT IN 1981-82.

THE MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST TOOK ACCOUNT OF LIKELY CONTINUED GROWTH IN EDUCATION AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF EXPECTED EDUCATION COMMISSION PROPOSALS, HE SAID.

THE EDUCATION PROGRAMME COMPRISES NOT ONLY PRE-PRIMARY PRIMARY SECONDARY AND SPECIAL EDUCATION BUT ALSO ADULT EDUCATION, TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FOR THE DISABLED. TEACHER TRAINING AND RETRAINING AS WELL AS EDUCATION AT THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, THE TWO POLYTECHNICS, THE BAPTIST COLLEGE AND THE LINGNAN COLLEGE.

THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO NON-PROFIT- MAKING KINDERGARTENS BY REFUNDING RENT AND RATES. FEE ASSISTANCE IS ALSO PROVIDED TO NEEDY CHILDREN ATTENDING KINDERGARTENS.

FOR MEDICAL SERVICES, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $4.3 BILLION IN 1986-87 WOULD BE 8.9 PER CENT OF CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT EXPENDITURE AS COMPARED WITH 7.3 PER CENT IN 1981-82.

WITH REGARD TO SPECIFIC CAPITAL PROJECTS, IN ADDITION TO THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF $899 MILLION FOR THE GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN TUEN MUN, $783 MILLION WOULD BE SPENT OVER A PERIOD ON IMPROVEMENTS AND EXTENSIONS TO QUEEN MARY AND TANG SHIU KIN HOSPITALS.

A FURTHER $123 MILLION WOULD BE SPENT ON SITE FORMATION WORKS AND CONSULTANTS FEES FOR A NEW HOSPITAL TO SERVE THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF HONG KONG ISLAND.

SUCH MAJOR NEW FACILITIES WOULD GIVE RISE TO FURTHER CONSIDERABLE INCREASES IN RECURRENT OPERATING COSTS ON WHICH A STEADY EYE HAD TO BE KEPT, SIR JOHN ADDED.

SPEAKING OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE EXPENDITURE, SIR JOHN POINTED OUT THAT IT HAD SHOWN THE STEEPEST INCREASE IN GROWTH OF ALL MAJOR PROGRAMMES SINCE 1981-92.

THE $2.8