TNAG-0317-FCO40-353-Policy-of-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-problem-of-s-1971 — Page 18

(CEIVED IN

REGISTRY No.

440CT 1971

Extrad Kan HICRIB

1/10/2).

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY SPELDS UP DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Public Expenditure Now Running At 1,180 Million

gi

'35

The Governor, Sir David Trench said today that Hong Kong's economic

prosperity had acted as the spring-board for speeding up the development of

social services, particularly in housing, education, health and welfare.

Public expenditure on those, he said, was now running at $1,180 million

a year, compared with $314 million ten years ago.

1

Reviewing the public housing programme he said the number of people

housed in Government and Government-assisted housing had increased from

814,000 in 1964 to about 1,500,000 at the present time.

On the design of resettlement blocks, he said this had been progressively

improved since the early elementary patterns and a further step had been taken

by starting to build housing for low income families, other than those being

cleared from squatter areas.

*

A big step forward was taken recently in deciding that resettlement

estates should henceforth be built to the higher standards already used for

these Government low cost housing estates.

Hillside Shacks

Sir David warned however, that the hillside shacks would continue

to be with us for some time to come, although the recent Census had shown there

were fewer squatters than had been thought. But the point had been reached

where decision could be made to clear some of the worst areas, even though

not required immediately for development.

*

"The days when the pressing need was 'for mass emergency accommodation,

at almost any standard, are nearly over," he said. "We are starting to be

able to pay more attention to the whole environment in the estates, and to

plan new estates as more attractive self-contained entities with a wider

range of facilities; while at the same time endeavouring to improve the older

、 estates."