TNAG-0225-FCO40-261-Ministerial-meetings-on-internal-affairs-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 43

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

W(B)L 51-7406

PERSONAL and CONFIDENTIAL

3-

Is this figure correct?

We could perhaps quoke 4.K.Kan

Flay

C.

assistance scheme has been announced.

Аля оче

I am assuming that this new scheme will

make it unnecessary for the children of

poorer families to work to supplement

all the family income. I appreciate the

practical difficulties in the way of

enforcing compulsory primary education

but I am not convinced that it would be right to delay the introduction of this important measure for that reason alone.

(ii) Housing.

The Prime Minister was most

impressed by the remarkable achievements

of the Hong Kong Government over the

last decade in providing accommodation

for the people of the Colony. He has,

however, stressed to me his hope that it

will be possible by a "crash" programme

to increase the rate at which it is

planned to house the remaining 500,000

squatters and so finish the job. I

should therefore be most grateful if you

could have a special study made of this

problemi

let me know the result.

(iii) Parliamentary Commissioner for

Administration (Ombudsman)

I would like to see a post of

Ombudsman or similar office established

as soon as possible. I know that some of

the unofficial members of both the

Executive and Legislative Councils

doubt whether such a post is necessary

and that the constitutional position of

the Colony makes it impossible to follow

the model of responsibility to Parliament

that is appropriate here. But just as

/Hong Kong

PERSONAL and CONFIDENTIAL