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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1976
SOCIAL WELFARE SUBVENTION ALLOCATION, ******
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TODAY POINTED OUT THAT VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES WERE ALL AWARE OF HOW THE AMOUNTS OF SUBVENTION WERE ARRIVED AT.
HE WAS COMMENTING ON PRESS REPORTS THIS MORNING ABOUT THE LACK OF CRITERIA BY WHICH SUBVENTIONS ARE ALLOCATED TO VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES.
+IN FACT, THEY HAVE BEEN SHOWN COPIES OF THE PAPERS CONTAINING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHICH DETERMINES THE AMOUNTS TO BE ALLOCATED.+
+IN ABOUT JUNE EACH YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, AGENCIES ARE INVITED TO PUT IN THEIR REQUESTS FOR SUBVENTION FOR THE FOLLOWING FINANCIAL YEAR. AFTER THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE SUGGESTS A WORKING FIGURE AS A TENTATIVE PROVISION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SUBVENTION,+
THE WORKING FIGURE FOR 1976-77 HAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE APPROVED SUBVENTION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS TO COVER SALARY INCREMENTS, INCREASED RENT AND RATES IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND THE REDUCTION IN OVERSEAS AID.
+APPLICATIONS FROM AGENCIES, WHEN RECEIVED, ARE THEN PROCESSED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND PRESENTED TO THE SUBVENTION SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IN TURN ADVISES THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE ON THE AMOUNT OF SUBVENTION TO BE ALLOCATED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
IF THE AGENCIES ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, THEY MAY SUBMIT WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS TO THE SUBVENTION SUB-COMMITTEE WHICH WILL CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR APPEAL.
+ IF REQUESTS FOR MORE FUNDS CAN BE JUSTIFIED, ADDITIONAL SUBVENTION WILL BE RECOMMENDED.+
TURNING TO THE SUBVENTION ALLOCATED TO THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR 1976-77, THE SPOKESMAN SAID: THE PROVISION OF $52 MILLION ALLOWS ABOUT $50 MILLION TO COVER THE COST OF MAINTAINING EXISTING SUBVENTED SERVICES, SALARY INCREMENT AND INCREASED RENT AND RATE FOR ACCOMMODATION ÎN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. IT ALSO MAKES PROVISIONS FOR REDUCTION IN AID FROM OVERSEAS AND FOR EXTRA HELP IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONTINGENCIES.
+AN ADDITIONAL $2 MILLION IS PROVIDED TO COVER NEW SERVICES IN PRIORITY AREAS INCLUDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE.
+ON THIS BASIS, THE OVERALL AMOUNT IS ADEQUATE IN MEETING THE IMMEDIATE NEED.+
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