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A telephone survey was conducted from 27 to 30 December 2013 by Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong to gauge public views and expectations on the forthcoming 2014 Policy Address.  772 respondents aged 18 or above were successfully interviewed, with a response rate of 46.3%.  The sampling error is + or –3.53% at a confidence level of 95%. 

Major findings are summarized as follows: 

In the current survey, the respondents were asked about their level of expectation on the forthcoming 2014 Policy Address.  While 7.6% of the 772 respondents had a high level of expectation, 44.6% reported that they had none.  45.3% said that they had some expectation.  Among seven policy areas, a larger proportion (22.8%) of respondents would like to see the forthcoming Policy Address dealing with the housing and planning one first.  18.3% voted for constitutional development and governance, 16.5% chose people’s livelihood and welfare, 13.5% said medical and health care, 12.8% opted for economic development, 6.9% considered education, and 3.9% cited environmental protection as the top areas of priority in the 2014 Policy Address. 

For each of these seven policy areas, respondents were asked to choose which specific issues they believed should be prioritized in the forthcoming Policy Address.  First, in the area of housing and planning, 35.1% and 23.2% of them wanted an increased supply of public rental housing and of subsidized home ownership units respectively, 17.1% thought a review of the current property-cooling measures, 11.0% chose the implementation of new development area projects, and 8.5% said speeding up the pace of land sales through public auction as the top issues to be dealt with.  Second, in the area of constitutional development and governance, nearly a quarter of the respondents (23.8%) believed the absorption of political talents from more diverse backgrounds, 23.3% considered a comprehensive public consultation on the methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council, 20.1% wanted an improved mechanism for the public to express their views, 12.4% saw an improvement in the relationship between the executive and legislature, and 11.9% cited a review of the political appointment and accountability system as the top issues in the forthcoming Policy Address. 

Third, in the area of people’s livelihood and welfare, around one-quarter (26.0%) of our respondents perceived the implementation of universal pension, 21.1% saw an improved standard of living for the working poor, 20.5% wanted a review of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, 17.0% cited an enhancement of services and welfare for the elderly, and 9.7% said the implementation of standard working hours as the top issues to be handled in the 2014 Policy Address.  Fourth, in the area of medical and health care, over half of the respondents (56.2%) said solving the healthcare manpower shortage, 13.0% considered the introduction of healthcare protection scheme, 12.7% opted for a strengthened monitoring system of food safety, 6.2% wanted more rigorous regulations of private hospitals, and 6.1% perceived a strengthened surveillance system for epidemic diseases as the prioritized issues.  And in the area of economic development, 27.3% of the respondents saw the support for small and medium enterprises, 26.8% chose stepping up the assistance to six industries, 10.1% cited the enhancement of Hong Kong’s position as an offshore Renminbi business centre, 9.8% said fastening the pace of developing Hong Kong-Shenzhen border area, and 6.9% wanted the assistance to industries to access the Mainland market as the top issues in the forthcoming Policy Address. 

In the area of education, over one-third of the respondents (34.2%) cited the provision of 15-year free education, 19.3% said solving the problems brought by the flux of cross-border students, 18.8% perceived an increase in subsidized university degree places, 11.5% chose the introduction of small-class teaching, and 9.6% wanted a review of the legitimacy of associate degrees as the top issues in the Policy Address.  Finally, in the area of environmental protection, over one-third of our respondents (34.8%) perceived the promotion of recycling industry, 21.8% cited the construction of incinerators, 19.9% believed an increase in community-based recycling facilities, 7.9% saw the introduction of municipal solid waste charging system, and 6.3% said the expansion of landfill sites as the priority issues.