ENG-1994 — Page 517

HISTORY

Hong Kong's public housing programme started with an emergency measure to rehouse some 53 000 people made homeless overnight in a squatter fire in 1953. It now encompasses a wide range of rental and home ownership schemes with comprehensive facilities, and houses about half the population.

The programme is in line with a long-term strategy to produce new housing and to redevelop the older rental estates to meet outstanding demand and rising expectations. The Hong Kong Housing Authority, with primary responsibility for this programme, has plans to build some 107 000 new flats in the next three years and will continue to review its production targets to reflect Hong Kong's changing environment.

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. There are now free and compulsory primary and junior secondary school places for every student up to the age of 15 years. In 1994, the government was able to provide subsidised Secondary 4 places for about 85 per cent of the 15-year-olds in a continuing programme.

In the field of social welfare, major advances have been made by both the government and non-government organisations in the past decade, with expenditure increasing from $2,132 million in 1984-85 to $10,282 million during 1994–95.

Medical and health services are also undergoing vigorous development programmes which will provide three more major public hospitals and some 10 additional clinics and polyclinics over the next decade.

Over the years, a comprehensive system of labour legislation has been developed to provide for employees' benefits and protection, work injury compensation, industrial safety and occupational health. Due to the restructuring of the local economy, the services industry has replaced manufacturing as the largest employer in Hong Kong. To help workers who are displaced in the economic restructuring, the Employees Retraining Board has been established to equip them with new skills for alternative employment.

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