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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1977
WHEN ASSESSING PAYMENT, ACCOUNT IS ALSO TAKEN OF ANY SHARE OF RESPONSIBILITY WHICH THE VICTIM HAS TO BEAR FOR HIS INJURY WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT HIS COMPENSATION WOULD BE REDUCED OR HIS APPLICATION REJECTED ALTOGETHER.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES OF THE SCHEME HAS OFTEN BEEN KEPT UNDER REVIEW TO REDUCE THE TIME REQUIRED FOR PROCESSING AN APPLICATION, AND REVISED SYSTEM OF OBTAINING FACTUAL REPORTS ON INCIDENTS OF CRIME DIRECT FROM POLICE DIVISIONS INSTEAD OF FROM CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS WAS INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 1976.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION CENTRES HANDLED
A MILLION ENQUIRIES
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THE 22 PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRES OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAVE HANDLED NEARLY ONE MILLION ENQUIRIES AND CASES DURING THE 10-MONTH PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO OCTOBER THIS YEAR.
THESE CONCERNED GENERAL ENQUIRIES, STATUTORY DECLARATIONS AND COMPLAINTS, THE CENTRES, WHICH ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, ALSO DISTRIBUTED OVER A MILLION FORMS AND BOOKLETS.
DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW, A TOTAL OF 824,185 ENQUIRIES WERE RECEIVED. SOME OF THE POPULAR SUBJECTS CONCERNED GOVERNMENT JOBS OR VACANCIES, APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, LOCATION OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS, AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND AIDS.
THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRES HANDLED 132,135 CASES, 93.2 PER CENT OF WHICH WERE STATUTORY DECLARATIONS. MATTERS OF STATUTORY DECLARATION CONCERNED APPLICATION FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS, REGISTRATION OR POST REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGE, AND EMIGRATION.
THERE WERE ALSO CASES OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OR PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS WHICH NEEDED FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS. DURING THE PERIOD, 2,794 COMPLAINTS WERE DEALT WITH.
APART FROM THESE, THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRES ALSO ATTENDED TO PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND DISPUTES WHICH INVOLVED GIVING ADVICE, THE INTERPRETATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY OR LEGAL MATTERS AND MEDIATION.
AS REGARDS THE DISTRIBUTION OF FORMS AND BOOKLETS, THERE WAS A GREAT DEMAND FOR ENROLMENT FORMS FOR THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND APPLICATION FORMS FOR GOVERNMENT POSTS.
ANOTHER ENQUIRY SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS MANNED ROUND THE CLOCK DURING TYPHOONS, CONCERNS STORM
INFORMATION.
THIS SERVICE WAS IN OPERATION ON EIGHT OCCASIONS DURING THE 10-MONTH PERIOD, AND A TOTAL OF 23,444 ENQUIRIES WERE HANDLED.
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