90. In Romania, the role of the mining<sup>enterpriseinthe provisionof housingand other assetswas</sup> not as great as in the former<sup>Sovietrepublics,butsomeportionof thehousingstockisthe</sup> responsibility of the municipality,<sup>althoughthisisgenerallynot considereda priorityor evena</sup> concern for the local authorities.<sup>Theproblemof damagetohousing,social assetsandsocial</sup> infrastructure also appears to<sup>belessurgent in Romania,at leastforthemoment, whichmay be</sup> attributable to the fact that the mass<sup>downsizingof theindustry took place wellin advanceof the</sup> implementation of the mine cilosure<sup>program,andit couldbethatin mostlocalities eventhose</sup> local mines slated for eventual<sup>closurecontinueto supply these services.</sup> 91. Payment arrears for housing<sup>and communalservicesarehighinsome locations,particularly</sup> in Ukraine, where respondents<sup>spokeoftheunaffordabilityofbasic servicesandmost</sup> significantly heat. In the choice<sup>betweensuchessentialexpendituresfoodand medicalcareand</sup> expenditures on housing and<sup>communalservices,respondentsgiveprioritytotheformer,</sup> allowing large arrears to accumulate<sup>for thelatter.</sup> Municipal authorities reported<sup>working</sup> constantly with the population<sup>toreduce arrears,but it seems likelythatpart of theproblem,in</sup> addition to the real burden<sup>thlatthehighcostofheatingservicesinparticularplaceonthe</sup> population, is a degree of tolerance<sup>ofnon-paymentsfortheseservicesonthepartofthe</sup> authorities.

92. These findings of the in-depth<sup>interviews with experts on variouslevelsandmembersof the</sup> population are consistent witl<sup>theresultsof thecomparativesurvey carriedoutinUkraine.</sup> Respondents in the sample of<sup>thetwominingtownsreported generallyworse conditionsof</sup> access to basic utility services<sup>comparedtorespondentsin thenationalsampleoflike-sized</sup> municipalities. Considerably more respondents<sup>intheminingsample,forexample,reported</sup> having no hot water in their<sup>apartmentsthaninthenationalurbansample (79%vs.43%,</sup> respectively). Additional survey<sup>resultsare reported belowin the sectionon Ukraine.</sup> _93. Education and health services._ Among the most important<sup>humandevelopment</sup> achievements of socialism, as<sup>viewedbythesocialistsystemitself,wastheprovisionof</sup> education and health services<sup>totheentirepopulationatnochargeorfor anominalcharge.</sup> Throughout the transition economies,<sup>governmentshavefoundthat theycanno longeraffordto</sup> continue to subsidize these services<sup>to thesame extentasinthepast,and fee-basededucation</sup> and health services are increasingly<sup>common.At thesametime,aspectsof thepastsystemare</sup> maintained, such as subsidized<sup>kindergartens, andthereisgenerallyexcessdemandforthese</sup> subsidized services. While the<sup>research results aresomewhatdifferent for the twokindsof basic</sup> services examined here, they<sup>hadincommonthesuggestionof increasingsocialstratification</sup> and the differing qualities of access<sup>totheseservicesdependingon one'sabilitytopay.These</sup> results are broadly consistent<sup>wviththe resultsof studiesdevotedto theseissuesin thetransition</sup> countries. As these are broad,<sup>country-wideissues,it wouldbe appropriateto viewthe problems</sup> of the provision of education<sup>and healthservicesaspartoftheoverallproblemof economic</sup> transition that are aggravated by the<sup>relatively moredepressedconditionsof the miningtowns.</sup> 94. _Education._ In all three countries,<sup>the broad consensusamong respondentswas that education</sup> services were generally available<sup>to the population,if somewhat more expensivethanin thepast,</sup> and that despite the difficulties of<sup>recent times,the qualityof theserviceswas beingmaintained.</sup> Municipalities are aided in their<sup>effortstomaintainkindergartensandprimaryschoolsbythe</sup> demographic trends of recent years:<sup>populations acrossthe regionare aging,andinmining towns</sup> 27