20% of the provision is used for welfare purposes and 80% for relief. The allocation of welfare funds is spent, as far as possible, on activities in which the lowest paid staff in the Department actually participate. Relief funds are mainly used to enable interest-free loans to applicants receiving a monthly salary of $1,722 or below, who can justly claim hardship involving domestic distress, the need to pay medical expenses for parents, the need to pay school fees or buying school books for children, the loss of belongings in a fire or typhoon etc. During the year, a total of 67 applications for interest-free loans amounting to $15,400 were approved. 77 gift parcels (limited in value to $7 each) were delivered to sick officers who were in hospitals.
124. The Staff Consultative Committee, under the Chairmanship of an Assistant Commissioner comprising representatives from each grade or group of grades, met at quarterly intervals to discuss matters relating to conditions of service, uniforms, working equipment etc.
125. There were 14 deaths amongst the junior staff during the year and their dependants received a total sum of $45,806 from the Pak Kam Wui or Funeral Scheme.
126. 29 officers, also minor staff, who retired at or beyond their normal retiring age or who were invalided from the service, received retirement gifts bought with voluntarily contributions from the staff of the department at a rate not more than 20 cents per head.
127. The Departmental Welfare Officer runs a counselling service for junior staff and some 235 members of the department made use of this service during the year. Apart from this, he visits members of the staff who are in hospital and is also the contact man with the Resettlement Department Staff Association and the Fraternal and Mutual Aid Association for Watchmen and Caretakers of Resettlement Department.
STAFF QUARTERS
128. Departmental quarters, consisting of either single or two or three bedroom flats or cottages, are provided for certain grades of married and single departmental staff. All quarters are situated in or near estates or cottage areas and at 31st March the total number of quarters was 486.
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