CONFIDENTIAL
PART VII
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
3
Certain public utilities and other firms (e.g. the power companies) provide services which are essential to the functioning of normal life in Hong Kong.
To preserve as far as possible an atmosphere of normality and to minimise inconvenience to the general public the Government would give a high priority to the maintenance of utilities during a period of civil disturbances.
2.
If it proved necessary, the Government would assist the essential services in providing emergency transport, security and rations, and determining priorities for scarce resources.
3.
The operations of most essential services are dependent on professional and technical staff. Although legal powers exist to enrol staff into the Essential Services Corps and compel them to remain at their posts, it is unlikely that coercion would work in practice.
4.
For this reason, the Essential Services Corps has been discontinued (with the sole exception of the Airport Unit) and the operation of essential services will have to rely on volunteer staff. If, nevertheless, there continues to be a serious shortage of semi-skilled labour, it might be possible
call
on the staff of certain Government departments (such as the Civil Aid Services or Urban Services Department) for assistance.
to
ELECTRICITY
5.
The Hong Kong Electric Co Ltd. (HEC) and the China Light and Power Co Ltd. (CLP) are jointly responsible for the supply of electricity. As other essential services are wholly or partly dependent on electricity, and since widespread cuts would greatly disrupt normal life, maintenance of this supply would be important during a period of civil disturbances.
CONFIDENTIAL
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