TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 52

GRO 285

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG Ø20135Z DEC 78

TPROUTINE F CO

Sex 153

НКК 341

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1383 OF 2 DECEMBER

INFO PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON EX

IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

No

341/1

4 DEC 1973

QE

IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 29 NOVEMBER ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND ITS EFFECT ON SOCIAL SERVICES, THE CHIEF

ECRETARY MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA:

(1)

DURING THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO HONG KONG TOTALLED 72,429 OF WHOM 50,249 WERE FROM CHINA (THIS COMPARED WITH EG 42,718 - 20,972 FROM CHINA DURING 1977):

150

(11) IF THE PRESENT LEVEL OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA CONTINUED, IT WOULD RAISE THE EXISTING MEDIUM POPULATION PROJECTION

FOR 1986 FROM 5.2 MILLION TO 5.6 MILLION, IE AN INCREASE NOT FAR SHORT OF THE PRESENT POPULATION OF TSUEN WAN :

(111) TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES FOR SUCH AN INCREASE WOULD INVOLVE ABOUT 2,400 MORE HOSPITAL BEDS OR TWO HOSPITALS THE SIZE

OF PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL:

(IV) THE EFFECT OF HOUSING PLANS WOULD INVOLVE BUILDING ABOUT

60,000 ADDITIONAL FLATS, ¡E AND A HALF YEARS' PRODUCTION

AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S PRESENT RATE OF BUILDING:

+

(V) THERE WOULD ALSO BE A NEED TO BUILD ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS,

ALTHOUGH THE PRECISE NUMBER WOULD DEPEND ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL

DISTRIBUTION OF IMMIGRANT CHILDREN:

(VI) IF THE DAILY AVERAGE OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WENT ON AT THE

SAME RATE AS SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER (254 DAILY OVER THE FIRST TWO MONTHS AND 329 SO FAR FOR NOVEMBER), THE ABOVE FIGURES

WOULD BE EVEN HIGHER AND THE PRESSURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES EVEN

GREATER,

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKGD

FED

MVD

¿..

COPIES TO:

HKGO.