435
is required, and proposals will shortly be put to
the Finance Committee. But apart from the question
undexed and are
of the scale of funds, whibh are and must be
constantly watched, the review has concluded that the
scheme is sound and well suited to Hong Kong's
requirements.
But in the light of experience the
Green Paper recommends some extensions and changes:
firstly, though adequate for those who have
to rely on it for comparatively short periods,
it is inadequate for those who have to rely
on it for very long periods when more than mere
subsistance will be required. A case in
point could be a widow unable to work because
of the ties of a young family. A supplement
is therefore proposed for those forced to
rely on Public Assistance for long periods at the front rati
amounting to $180 for a family or $90
for a single person.
Secondly, it is proposed that a supplement
at the front rat
of $90/should be paid to persons on Public
Assistance who are between the ages of 60 and
70. Their needs tend to be greater than their juniors and this change is strongly recommended
by social workers. This supplement for those
in need who are getting on it life, also makes
more acceptable the relatively high age at which
infirmity allowance is paid to which I will
refer again shortly.