TNAG-1750-FCO40-2470-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 33

J

Social Indicators

+

JJZ

USJ CLC/

1.04

(a) Free education for every child for 9 years.

Attendance until age 15 or completion of Form 3 is

compulsory.

(b)

A public medical service with nominal charges.

(c)

An infant mortality rate of 7.5 per thousand, which

is amongst the lowest in the world.

(d) Life expectancies of 79 for females (UK: 76; USA :

78) and 74 for males (UK : 70; USA: 71) which are

amongst the longest in the world.

(e) Nearly half of the people of Hong Kong live in highly

subsidized public housing; every year more than

40,000 new flats are being provided through the

public housing programme, 30,000 rental and more than

10,000 for sale.

(E)

Government is undertaking a re-development programme

of its older public housing estates, rehousing more

than 6,000 people into better public housing every

year.