TNAG-0621-FCO40-769-Budget-of-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 31

14. THE INCREASED LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE IN 1977-78 ALLOWS FOR EXPANSION IN ALL MAIN SERVICES, AND IN PARTICULAR:

(A) SOME 1,400 ADDITIONAL POSTS WILL BE PROVIDED, TO BRING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POLICE FORCE TO NEARY 22,000, AND PROVISION

IS MADE TO BRING THE FORCE UP TO FULL STRENGHTH.

they

get

recruits

(B) ABOUT DOLLARS 530 MILLION WILL BE SPENT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING AND ASSOCIATED COMMUNITY FACILITIES. WORK ALREADY ON HAND WILL, ON COMPLETION DURING 1977-78, ADD ACCOMMODATION FOR NEARY 109,000 PERSONS TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING STOCK. ADDITIONALLY, WORK WILL BEGIN ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF 7,200 FLATS FOR SALE, AND EXPENDITURE DURING 1977-78 WILL BE ABOUT DOLLARS 103 MILLION FROM THE HOME OWNERSHIP FUND, THIS SUM BEING TRANSFERRED FROM GENERAL REVENUE TO THE FUND.

(C) ALTHOUGH THE POLICY OF PROVIDING A COVERNMENT OR AIDED PLACE FOR EVERY CHILD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED, NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARE STILL REQUIRED IN CERTAIN AREAS, PARTICULARLY THE NEW TOWNS, TO ENSURE THAT NO CHILD HAS TO TRAVEL AN UNREASONABLE DISTANCE TO ATTEND PRIMARY SCHOOL. SO OVER 12,000 NEW PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED IN 1977-78. A FURTHER 3,700 PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL CLASSES. AT

FORM I PLACES WILL THE JUNIOR SECONDARY LEVEL, THE NUMBER OF

BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT 63,300 TO 74,500 AS A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS ENSURING THAT BY 1978 THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT SUCH PLACES TO ACCOMMODATE ALL PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS. 31 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL PROJECTS WERE STARTED THIS YEAR AND A FURTHER 15 WILL START IN 1977-78. 32 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE COMPLETED DURING 1977-78.

(D) A FOURTH TECHNICAL INSTITUTE IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER 1977, AND TOTAL ENROLMENT IN ALL TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WILL THEN BE THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 4,500 FULL-TIME STUDENTS, AN INCREASE OF 2,200 OVER THE TOTAL ENROLMENT IN SEPTEMBER 1976. TARGETS AT THE UNIVERSITIES (OF 8,850 STUDENTS) AND THE POLYTECHNIC (OF 9,850 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS) WILL BE REACHED IN SEPTEMBER

1977.

/(E) THE

-5.