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18.
Mr. F.K. Hu expressed the hope that controlling
officers would be allowed a degree of flexibility within the
overall policy of stabilizing the size of the public
service to allow specific new services, such as the
Community Services Order Scheme, to go ahead. Controlling
officers do have a considerable degree of discretion in the
actual allocation of resources within the total provision in
their estimates, and it will be up to the Director of
Social Welfare to determine her priorities in the implement-
ation of the various projects after consultation with the
policy branches concerned.
19.
Finally I would like to make some comments on one
of the topics which Dr. Ip offered as 'food for thought'
the subject of standard cost arrangements for subsidising the
various types of social services provided by non-profit
making bodies.
20.
I have considerable sympathy with Dr. Ip's wish
to introduce standardised funding arrangements for these
services, and agree that ideally these arrangements should
be as simple as possible.
21.
Standard cost arrangements are however only
really practicable in areas in which standardised services
are provided. Subventions to aided schools are granted in
accordance with the codes of aid, which set out in considerable
detail the basis of subsidy, and this system could be described
/as...