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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1978
GOVERNOR SHOWS KEEN INTEREST IN THE WORK OF SOCIAL WELFARE
DEPARTMENT
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WAS THIS (MONDAY) MORNING GIVEN AN INSIGHT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES DURING HIS VISIT TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND TWO OF ITS DISTRICT OFFICES.
AFTER A BRIEFING BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS AT THE DEPARTMENT'S HEADQUARTERS, THE GOVERNOR WENT ON AN INSPECTION TOUR AT THE DEPARTMENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY AND FAMILY SERVICES OFFICES AT CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY BUILDING.
AT THE EASTERN DISTRICT SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNIT, SIR MURRAY CHATTED WITH OLD PEOPLE APPLYING FOR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, ́ ́THE QUALIFYING AGE FOR WHICH HAS NOW BEEN REDUCED TO 70 FROM 75.
HEAD OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY DIVISION, MR. CHENG KWAN-KUEN, EXPLAINED THE PRESENT CASELOAD AT THAT OFFICE, COMPRISES ABOUT 820 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 5,000 WELFARE ALLOWANCE CASES AND 3,700 APPLICATIONS FOR THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE. THE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THE VARIOUS ALLOWANCES ARE BETWEEN 70 AND 74.
AT THE HONG KONG DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION, THE GOVERNOR ENQUIRED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO VARIOUS TYPES OF FAMILY SERVICES CASES.
SIR MURRAY WAS ACCOMPANIED THROUGHOUT THE VISIT BY MR, LEE- THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (GENERAL), MR. STEPHEN LAW AND THE NEWLY-APPOINTED REGIONAL OFFICER, HONG KONG ISLAND, MR. KWOK KA-CHI.
GOVERNOR TO OPEN TRAINING CENTRE FOR THE BLIND
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WILL OPEN THE POKFULAM TRAINING CENTRE FOR THE BLIND AT 131 POKFULAM ROAD AT 3 P.M. TOMORROW (TUESDAY).
SIR MURRAY WILL UNVEIL A PLAQUE TO MARK THE OPENING OF THE THREE-STOREY BUILDING WHICH HOUSES THE TRAINING CENTRE FOR MENTALLY RETARDED BLIND CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OPERATED BY THE EBENEZER SCHOOL AND HOME FOR THE BLIND AND A VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR THE BLIND, RUN BY THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND.
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PART OF THE BUILDING WILL BE USED AS DORMITORY FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED BLIND TRAINEES.
THE CENTRE WAS BUILT WITH DONATIONS FROM THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES FUND, THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB AND OTHER WELFARE FUNDS.
TWO COACHES HIRED BY THE EBENEZER SCHOOL AND HOME FOR THE BLIND AND THE SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND WILL BE LEAVING QUEEN'S PIER FOR THE POKFULAM TRAINING CENTRE AT 2 P.M. TOMORROW. PRESS REPRESENTATIVES WHO WISH TO COVER ITS OPENING CAN MAKE USE OF THIS TRANSPORT FACILITY.
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