ENG-1988 — Page 396

HISTORY

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In development of the post-war years, Hong Kong has continued to build up its role as an entrepôt with its neighbours and trade with China has been no exception. Coupled with tourism, this had led to vast improvements in communications with an increasing number of people entering China from or through Hong Kong, its natural gateway, each year. The territory's major carrier, Cathay Pacific, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China operate scheduled, and a considerable number of charter, services between Hong Kong and cities in China, and a new airline, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, now operates non- scheduled services to a number of cities in China. The Kowloon-Canton Railway runs, jointly with Canton's railway administration, express 'through' trains between Kowloon and Canton; several direct bus services, including a British and Chinese joint venture, operate different routes into Guangdong and other parts of southern China; and there are several daily ferry services to Canton and other ports in South China. Hoverferries operate on some of these services.

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To keep pace with the development, strong emphasis is placed by the government on infrastructural improvements. An estimated $8,800 million is being spent on numerous public works projects in 1988-9, representing about 17 per cent of the total public expenditure. The territory has been completely transformed into a modern city with efficient road links, tunnels and flyovers, as well as multi-lane highways which have opened up many hitherto remote areas.

The development of Hong Kong's economic base has enabled the government to increase spending on social services over the years - from $5,190 million in 1978–9 to an estimated $29,304 million in 1988–9.

With a rapidly growing population, the provision of adequate housing has always been a major concern to the government and the community. Hong Kong's public housing programme began with the efforts to resettle some 50 000 people who were made home- less by the Shek Kip Mei squatter fire in 1953. It gained greater momentum with the establishment of the new Housing Authority in 1973. It now directly benefits some 2.8 million people, or 50 per cent of the population, who live in public rental housing or Home Ownership Scheme flats.

Expenditure on education facilities and improvements for Hong Kong's young and vibrant population has always been one of the major considerations in budget preparations and there are now free and compulsory primary and junior secondary school places for every student up to the age of 15.

In the field of social welfare, major advances have been made by both the government and voluntary agencies in the past decade, with expenditure increasing from $535 million in 1978-9 to an estimated $3,607 million during 1988–9.

The medical and health services are also undergoing vigorous development programmes which, by the end of the decade, will provide four more major acute government hospitals and some 18 additional clinics and polyclinics.

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A comprehensive system of labour legislation for protection of wages, rest days, statutory holidays, paid annual leave, maternity leave, sickness allowance, severance payment, end-of-year payment, long service payment, employees' compensation, industrial safety and occupational health has been built up, and the benefits provided have steadily improved. Employment of children under the age of 15 in the industrial sector is prohibited.

Public Records Office

Established in 1972 as the central repository for official records, the Public Records Office is now one of the largest local sources of information for historical and other studies relating