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SOCIAL WELFARE
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THE Director of Social Welfare is responsible for carrying out government policies on social security and social welfare, based on the objectives set out in three White Papers Integrating the Disabled into the Community: A United Effort (1977); Primary Education and Pre-primary Services (1981); and Social Welfare into the 1990s and Beyond (1991).
The government is advised on social welfare policy by two committees the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, covering the whole area of social welfare, and the Reha- bilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee, on matters of rehabilitation. Members of these committees are appointed by the Governor, with non-officials as chairmen.
In the provision of welfare services, the Social Welfare Department maintains a close working partnership with non-governmental organisations, most of which are affiliated to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. More details about the Hong Kong Council of Social Service are in Appendix 32A.
Continuing its drive to provide more and better welfare services to meet the changing needs of the community, the government increased spending on social welfare in 1992–3 by 11 per cent to $6,384 million.
The Protection of Women and Juveniles (Amendment) Bill 1992 was published in the Hong Kong Government Gazette in March 1992. Among other things, it aims at widening the circumstances in which a child may be considered to be in need of care or protection and providing the Director of Social Welfare with more flexible powers of intervention and investigation.
Arising from widespread public concern over tragedies involving young children left unattended at home, the three-month public consultation exercise on measures to prevent children from being left unattended at home was concluded in January 1992. The majority was of the view that legislation to prohibit parents from leaving children unattended at home should not be introduced but recommended an increase of child care facilities and support services, the promotion of mutual help groups and the enhancement of public education. These recommendations were considered and endorsed by the Social Welfare Advisory Committee. Follow-up actions are carried out by the department.
During the year, seven new day nurseries, two homes-cum-care-and-attention units, six social centres for the elderly, and nine children and youth centres were established.
With improved housing, financial assistance and community support services, the need for self-care hostels for the elderly is now less obvious. To meet the changing trend, some of the self-care/meal places in hostels for the elderly are being converted into meal/care-