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the assistance of our most prominent business leaders and professional associations.
THE SOCIAL SERVICES
25. The community places a high priority on economic success but without neglecting the needs of its more disadvantaged groups, notably its children and the elderly. Hong Kong still relies very heavily on the family to provide the support that their members need. However, pressures on the family are becoming increasingly intense, not least as our population ages. Even prosperity creates its own strains.
26. Last year, I set out a five-year programme for improvements to our social services across the board. In this year's Policy Address, I shall pay special attention to family needs. I hope when the Minister arrives, he will find a constructive debate on these issues in progress, based on major new initiatives including greater financial assistance to children in less well-off families, better provision for the chronically and terminally ill, and better treatment and residential and community care for the handicapped. In addition, I shall unveil an initial but far-reaching programme of health, social and housing services for the growing elderly population.
VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS
27. Concern about illegal Vietnamese immigration from China (ECVIIS) has diminished now that we have reached an agreement with the CPG. Indeed, in a wider context, this is another example of how progress can be made with the CPG on issues which it decides not to "politicise".
28. The question of ECVIIs has, however, renewed attention on the hardcore of some 38,000 VBPs (excluding ECVIIs), a number which is now seen to be
to be responding only slowly to existing policy.
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