to fly out of Kai Tak or leave on The Lady Maurine, it will not be for want of effort or ingenuity in seeking out a timely solution. But the delay would be a great pity for Hong Kong; and it would be just as great a pity for China.
THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
37. Hong Kong is a thriving Territory. That is what hard work has achieved. But it is not without its darker side. Even in the midst of prosperity, some members of the community suffer from poverty and deprivation. It is our duty to use a proper share of the wealth we generate to ensure that they are not forgotten, and have the education, the skills and the assistance they need to cope with change. I have dwelt at length on how we can boost our prosperity. I now want to spend some time setting out how I believe we can give proper priority to the protection of the disadvantaged.
38. Hong Kong is not a welfare state, but we are a society that cares deeply about the state of welfare. Our welfare services must be more than just a safety net that allows the fortunate majority to enjoy its prosperity with an easy conscience. Hong Kong is sometimes described as crassly materialistic, motivated solely by a search for personal gain. The truth is very different. I have been struck forcibly since I arrived by the high priority the community gives to welfare issues and by its concern for the plight of the underprivileged.
39. We can take pride in the way that Hong Kong has improved its welfare services in both scope and quality over the last decade. But much remains to be done to honour our obligations to the deprived and the disabled.
40. It would be a cruel state of affairs to leave families who are already victims of life's tragic accidents in any doubt about our determination to care for them properly in the years ahead. To remove all anxiety about funding, the Government will put before this Council special arrangements for the secure funding of a major improvement in our welfare services between now and 1997. The Government will make an immediate capital injection into the Lotteries Fund of $2.3 billion.
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