MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1976
SUBVENTING VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES
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GOVERNMENT SUBVENTIONS TO VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN INCREASING STEADILY OVER THE YEARS. A TOTAL OF $52 MILLION HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR 1976-77: MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE $12.4 MILLION PROVIDED SIX YEARS AGO. AND, IN REAL TERMS. THIS IS NINE PER CENT MORE THAN THE AMOUNT ENVISAGED FOR 1976-77 IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT PLAN PUBLISHED IN 1973.
SPENDING BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ON WELFARE SERVICES, EXCLUDING THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES, HAS ALSO INCREASED AND IS FIVE PER CENT MORE, AGAIN IN REAL TERMS THAN WHAT WAS ENVISAGED FOR 1976-77 IN THE PLAN.
IF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES ARE INCLUDED, TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON WELFARE AND SUBVENTIONS THIS YEAR WILL BE NEARLY TWICE AS MUCH AS ENVISAGED IN THE PLAN.
THESE FIGURES THEN ILLUSTRATE THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PROVIDE WELFARE, MR. W.M. BRADLEY, ASSISTANT FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID TODAY (MONDAY), AND, AT THE SAME TIME THEY UNDERSCORE THE NEED TO WORK WITHIN AGREED PLANS, AND WITH CONTROL.
HE WAS SPEAKING ON THE SUBJECT OF +GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION FOR VOLUNTARY WELFARE SERVICES+ AT THE QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE PROCEDURE FOR ARRIVING AT THE AMOUNT FOR SUBVENTIONS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1973 AND THAT THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE DETERMINES THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO MAINTAIN EXISTING SERVICES, BASED ON THE TOTAL APPROVED FOR THE CURRENT YEAR ADJUSTED TO ALLOW FOR INCREASES IN COSTS, AND FOR THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
FUNDS THEN VOTED ARE ALLOCATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE ON THE ADVICE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (S.W.A.C.).
HOWEVER, THE PROCEDURE WAS CHANGED FOR THIS YEAR AS WAS EXPLAINED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH. INSTEAD, A PROVISIONAL LIMIT WAS SET BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY BASED ON THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST RETURNS SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENTS IN JUNE/JULY 1975, BUT INCLUDING ONLY THE AMOUNT NEEDED FOR UNAVOIDABLE COMMITMENTS ON EXISTING SERVICES. THIS PROCEDURE TOOK ACCOUNT OF THE NEED TO EXERCISE ECONOMY FOR EXISTING SERVICES AND WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AS MUCH ROOM AS POSSIBLE FOR NEW SERVICES.
FOR RECURRENT SUBVENTIONS ON SOCIAL WELFARE, THE PROVISIONAL LIMIT WAS SET AT $50 MILLION TO WHICH IT PROVED POSSIBLE SUBSEQUENTLY TO ADD A FURTHER $2 MILLION FOR NEW SERVICES.
+THIS IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE FACT THAT THE SUBVENTION OF NEW SERVICES SHOULD BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY CONSCIOUS DECISION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN TAKING ACCOUNT OF PRIORITIES,+ MR. BRADLEY POINTED OUT.
/RECURRENT