XN000022-1994-10-05 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994

FULL EMPLOYMENT IS HK'S BLESSING

MANAGEABLE,

OF

THE RT

HON

FULL EMPLOYMENT HAS KEPT HONG KONG'S WELFARE COSTS ECONOMIC GROWTH HAS ENABLED IT TO GO ON RAISING THE STANDARDS

THOSE

OR AT FOR

NEED

GOVERNOR, CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID.

AND

CARE

IN

RISK,

THE

TODAY

PRESENTING HIS POLICY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (WEDNESDAY), HE POINTED OUT: "ONE OF HONG KONG'S GREAT STRENGTHS IS NEED TO THAT WE HAVE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF ECONOMIC REALITIES: OF THE

AND GENERATE WEALTH BEFORE WE SPEND IT, OF THE NEED TO KEEP TAXES LOW GOVERNMENT SMALL.

AVOID

THE

WELFARE

"AS

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO A CONSEQUENCE, CRISES WHICH HAVE AFFLICTED SO MANY OTHER DEVELOPED ECONOMIES.

"WE HAVE ALSO BEEN BLESSED EMPLOYMENT FOR THREE DECADES.'

fl

WITH VIRTUALLY

UNBROKEN FULL

BUT

A WHOLE HONG KONG GENERATION HAS GROWN UP, KNOWING NOTHING FULL EMPLOYMENT, AN ALMOST UNIQUE PHENOMENON FOR AN ADVANCED ECONOMY.

MR PATTEN SAID THIS HAD MEANT HONG KONG'S SOCIAL SERVICES NOT BEEN OVERWHELMED BY MASS UNEMPLOYMENT.

HAD

OF

UNDERCLASS ALSO, IT HAS ESCAPED THE EMERGENCE OF A LARGE UNDERPRIVILEGED AND DEMORALISED MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE FAMILIES DEPEND ON WELFARE HANDOUTS, HE ADDED.

WELL-BEING OF ELDERLY TOPS SOCIAL PRIORITIES

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY

THE WELL-BEING OF THE ELDERLY AT THE TOP OF SOCIAL IN HIS ANNUAL POLICY ADDRESS.

PLACES

(WEDNESDAY)

PRIORITIES

IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR PATTEN NOTED THAT

PROSPERITY HAD CONTRIBUTED TO HONG KONG'S ELDERLY

IN FUTURE OF HONG KONG

PRESENT

AND

THROUGH INVESTMENT

THEIR

THE INVESTED IN THE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

ON PRESENT PROGRAMMES FOR THE ELDERLY, HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS

KONG YEAR HONG

SPENT $6.8 BILLION ON SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY; PROVIDED AN EXTRA 1,150 PLACES IN CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES; AND THE ELDERLY PRIORITY TO PUBLIC HOUSING.

GAVE

WORKING CONSIDER WHAT

IN HIS 1993 POLICY ADDRESS, THE GOVERNOR ESTABLISHED A TO REVIEW EXISTING SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY AND MORE WAS REQUIRED.

GROUP

IMPROVE

HE SAID IN THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE'S POLICY

THERE WOULD COMMITMENTS,

BE 12 SPECIFIC

то INITIATIVES SERVICES TO THE ELDERLY BASED ON THE WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

/THESE PROPOSALS