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SOCIAL SECURITY
By command of Your Excellency I lay upon the table certain papers, copies of which are already in the hands of honourable Members.
Amongst these papers is the Report of the Working Party on Social Se ty.
This Working Party, composed of officers of the different depart- ments most closely associated with social security, was appointed in February 1966 to examine what is already being done in Hong Kong in this field and to suggest what improvements might be made. The report represents their personal views.
I think that honourable Members will find much of interest in this report. It sets out clearly the present arrangements in respect of work- men's compensation, sickness allowance and medical care; indicates those contingencies which are at present inadequately covered; and makes recommendations for further protection in the future.
This is a useful report, on which we shall welcome the comments of honourable Members and of the public, and it is already being studied by the departments concerned.
I must, however, sound a word of warning. Honourable Members will not, I think, imagine that all the suggestions in this Report will, upon closer examination, prove possible or capable of implementation, or indeed prove beneficial in the circumstances of Hong Kong. Some of them may well prove to be financially impossible.
Nevertheless, there are various proposals which we may find it practicable to implement, at least in certain respects, and these are now being carefully examined. I refer in particular to the recommendations on medical care (27.2), and to the suggestion for legislation relating to maternity protection (27.3), employment injury (27.4) and security of employment (27.5).
I agree with the Working Party that we should explore new ways of assisting widows, especially those with young children, (27.11) and also the proposal for social insurance for employment injury benefit (27.12), although I doubt whether we could go so far as to substitute commercial insurance by national insurance.
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