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Wednesday, June 6, 1973
IMPROVED WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE
An improved white paper on social welfare together with a five
year plan setting out a programme for social welfare development over the
next five years was tabled in the Legislative Council today.
The Director of Social Welfare, the Hon. F.K. Li, said the white
paper described the general aims of social welfare policy and the five year
plan expresses in practical terms the principles and priorities set out
in the paper.
He recalled that the white paper was laid in draft last October
and those two papers were the outcome of a consultative process both with
those experienced in the field of social welfare and those with broader
community interest.
"I cannot pretend that everyone would regard the proposals as ideal.
But I can say that they do reflect the views of the great majority of
those who commented on them.
"This is a social welfare programme of action to meet the needs
of the community, drawn up in consultation with the community, which I
believe represents the general wishes of the community," Mr. Li said.
The five year plan, he said, would be reviewed each year so it
could be revised to take account of changing needs and circumstances, and
to extend it forward a further year to provide a continuous five year
projection.
"By these ****