SOCIAL WELFARE
During the year, 5768 applications were received and 5 284 were approved for assistance, with payments totalling $97.3 million, compared with $89 million in 1993.
Emergency relief is provided to victims of natural or other disasters in the form of material aid such as hot meals, eating utensils and other essential articles. Grants from the Emergency Relief Fund are also paid to victims or their dependants to relieve hardship caused by disasters.
During the year, emergency relief was given to 6 278 registered victims on 48 occasions. The Social Welfare Department also assisted in providing hot meals to refugees and boat people from Vietnam.
The rates of grants payable under the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Com- pensation Scheme, the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme and the Emergency Relief Fund were increased in September to cover the rise in living costs.
Social Security Appeal Board
The Social Security Appeal Board is an independent body comprising non-official members appointed by the Governor. It considers appeals from individuals against decisions by the Social Welfare Department concerning comprehensive social security assistance, social security allowances and traffic accident victims assistance. During the year, 106 appeals were heard by the board. Of these, 24 related to comprehensive social security assistance, 81 to social security allowances and one to traffic accident victims assistance.
Services for Offenders
The Social Welfare Department is responsible for carrying out a number of statutory duties to implement the directions of the courts on the treatment of offenders through social work. The overall objective is to rehabilitate offenders through probation supervision, the Community Service Orders Scheme, residential training for young offenders and after-care services with the aim of reintegrating the offenders into the community.
Probation applies to offenders of all age groups from seven years upwards. The probation service is provided in 11 probation offices which serve 10 magistracies, the District Court and the High Court. Probation officers make inquiries into the background and home surroundings of offenders as the court may direct, and of prisoners whose sentences are being considered for reduction. They also supervise the offenders in complying with the requirements of the probation order.
The Community Service Orders Scheme is a community-based initiative with punitive and rehabilitative objectives. It requires an offender over the age of 14, who is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment, to perform unpaid work of benefit to the community and to receive counselling and guidance from a probation officer. The scheme covers 10 magistracies.
The Young Offender Assessment Panel, run jointly by the Social Welfare Department and the Correctional Services Department, provides magistrates with a co-ordinated view on the most appropriate programme of rehabilitation for convicted young offenders aged between 14 and 25.
The Social Welfare Department operates seven residential institutions with a total capacity of 602 places, each with a slightly different training programme to cater for the
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