CONFIDENTIAL
unified Housing Department will be associated with this new Authority.
The Governor stated that it was apparent that in the past the housing
programme as a whole had suffered from the absence of unified control
and administration.
SOCIAL WELFARE
3. The Government have prepared a draft White Paper on social
welfare which was tabled in the Legislative Council on 18 October. The
Paper contains comprehensive proposals for a 5-year plan covering four
main areas of development:
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(1)
Assistance to those who through causes out of their control
This includes the Public
have not adequate means of support.
Assistance Scheme under which at present over 13,500 people are
receiving cash allowances.
(ii) Assistance in cash to vulnerable groups like the
disabled or the elderly infirm.
(iii) Provision of facilities for the disabled with comprehensive services to meet their needs in the field of training, employment
and housing.
(iv) Comprehensive proposals for extending the existing limited
network of community and social centres operated by the Social
Welfare Department to cover the whole of Hong Kong.
If approved the total cost in the period 1973-78 will be
approximately HK $725 million, of which the major proportion will
be borne by the Government.
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CONFIDENTIAL