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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1978
LEAVING THE UNCERTAINTIES OF THE FUTURE FOR THE PRACTICAL REALITIES OF SPECIFIC PLANS, MR. HO SAID. HE WAS VERY GLAD TO LEARN THAT THE SETTLEMENT INTENDED TO OPEN A DAY-CARE UNIT TO SERVE THOSE ELDERLY PERSONS WHO REQUIRED NURSING AND PERSONAL CARE IN THE DAYTIME. +I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT SUCH A UNIT WILL BE A MOST POPULAR ADDITION TO THE SPLENDID SERVICES WHICH THE SETTLEMENT IS ALREADY OFFERING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA. THIS IS POSSIBLY A PARTIAL ANSWER TO THE QUESTION I HAVE JUST POSED AND IN YOUR TYPICAL WAY DEMONSTRATES THE FORWARD LOOK ING NATURE OF YOUR PROJECTS.+
MR. HO SAID THE OBJECTIVE OF GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMME PLAN FOR THE ELDERLY WAS TO PROMOTE THE WELL BEING OF THE ELDERLY IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR LIVING BY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO REMAIN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE SUITED TO THE VARYING NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY.
+I AM GLAD TO OBSERVE THAT IN THE MANY COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS PUBLISHED LAST NOVEMBER THERE WAS NO CRITICISM OF THIS BASIC OBJECTIVE, HE SAID.
MR. HO SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE WHITE PAPER HAD NOT BEEN FINALISED THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY PUT INTO OPERATION A NUMBER OF THE IMPORTANT PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER WHICH WOULD INVOLVE ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE OF ABOUT $60 MILLION IN 1978/79 AND $90 MILLION IN 1979/80.
HE SAID GOVERNMENT'S RECORD IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE FIELD IN RECENT YEARS WAS SUFFICIENT TESTIMONY OF ITS DETERMINATION TO BRING ABOUT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
+TOTAL SOCIAL WELFARE EXPENDITURE HAS INCREASED MORE THAN 13 FOLD FROM JUST UNDER $40 MILLION IN 1970/71 TO OVER $540 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, + MR. HO SAID.
+SO THERE IS NO QUESTION OF TURNING BACK THE CLOCK AND WE WILL PRESS ON WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT PLANS. BUT PROGRAMME PLANS NO MATTER HOW COMPREHENSIVE WILL SERVE LITTLE PURPOSE UNLESS THEY CAN BE EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED. THIS REQUIRES THE CONCERTED EFFORT OF BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR WORK ING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL. THE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE OF THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, COUPLED WITH THE PLANNING, CO-ORDINATION, FINANCIAL AND SERVICE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT WILL ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE FACILITIES AND HELP WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ALL WHO ARE IN NEED, HE SAID.
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