XN000022-1988-10-12 — Page 67

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1988

THESE ARE ALL LONG TERM

PROJECTS. WE ALSO HAVE то IMPROVE STANDARDS OF LIVING IN THE SHORTER TERM. HOUSING FOR INSTANCE. THIS YEAR A RECORD NUMBER OF FLATS WILI. BE BUILT BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND A NEW DESIGN WILL BE INTRODUCED, GIVING MORE SPACE AND A BETTER LAYOUT TO MEET A GROWING DEMAND FOR HIGHER STANDARDS.

LAST YEAR I ANNOUNCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ΤΟ OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES. MOST OF THESE ARE NOW IN PLACE. NEXT APRIL THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE WILL BE EXTENDED TO PEOPLE AGED 67; AND THE HIGHER RATE OF DISABILITY ALLOWANCE - THAT IS FOR THOSE WHO NEED CONSTANT CARE AND ATTENTION WILL BE GOING TO ALL AGED 16 AND OVER.

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EDUCATION WAS ANOTHER IMPORTANT AREA IN MY SPEECH. AS A

WE CHINESE CITY AND AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING CENTRE

ΤΟ HAVE

BE GOOD AT BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE. BOTH WILL BE GIVEN MORE RESOURCES.

ECONOMY SHORT AND AS A BOOMING

OF SKILLED

WE MANPOWER,

ΤΟ NEED PRODUCE MORE GRADUATES HERE IN HONG KONG. OUR PLAN IS TO INCREASE THE YEAR NUMBER OF PLACES EACH YEAR BY 5 PER CENT. THIS MEANS THAT BY THE

STUDY 2000, A YOUNG PERSON WILL HAVE TWICE AS GOOD A CHANCE AS NOW TO

SCALE WE FOR A DEGREE HERE IN HONG KONG. AND AT THE OTHER END OF THE ARE DRAWING UP A PROGRAMME TO PHASE OUT BISESSIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOLING.

MEDICAL FACILITIES WAS ANOTHER AREA I DEALT WITH. THESE MUST BE.

AT AND WILL BE, INCREASED, TWO BIG NEW HOSPITALS OPEN NEXT YEAR, TUEN MUN AND THE EXTENSION TO QUEEN MARY. ALL THIS WILL HELP REDUCE

EXISTING THE VERY REAL PROBLEM OF OVERCROWDING IN OUR

WE HOSPITALS. ALSO NEED TO GET THE ORGANISATION OF OUR HOSPITALS RIGHT TO BEST POSSIBLE USE OF OUR RESOURCES. THE PROVISIONAL HOSPITAL AUTHORITY IS NOW IN PLACE. IT IS ALREADY AT WORK ON LONGER TERM PLANNING.

THEY

OF

MAKE THE

THE ARRIVED PEOPLE WHO THE UNITED IN JUNE MEANS AND REFUGEES

REF! GEES ECONOMIC

ONE PROBLEM THAT HAS BECOME ACUTE DURING THE YEAR HAS BEEN CONTINUING INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. OVER 17,000 HAVE THIS YEAR. WE CANNOT SIMPLY GO ON ACCEPTING THOUSANDS HAVE NO HOPE OF GETTING WHERE

REALLY WANT TO BE STATES, CANADA OR WHEREVER. THE NEW POLICY INTRODUCED THAT WE WILL BE ABLE ΤΟ DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GENUINE THOSE LEAVING ESSENTIALLY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS. FOR GENUINE WE WILL SEEK RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS. THOSE WHO ARE MOVING FOR

ARE AND THAT IS WHAT WE REASONS WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO A 1ETNAM: TALKING TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT.

NOW

THERE HAS