WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1979
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+IT IS EASY TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT IN THE GREATEST NEED AND THAT THEY ARE RELATIVELY BETTER ABLE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES OR EVEN ACCEPT LESS THAN THEIR PREVIOUS EXPECTATIONS, BUT FOR THE GOOD OF OUR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE WE SHOULD NOT RISK THE DIS ILLUSIONMENT OF AN IMPORTANT GROUP.
+WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A PRIVILEGED CLASS HERE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, WHO COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO OUR SYSTEM AND HAVE A FULL CLAIM ON OUR CONCERN, HE SAID.
MR. LOBO ALSO COMMENTED ON THE CONTINUING PROBLEM OF SHORTAGE OF TRAINED MANPOWER IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE FIELD.
HE NOTED THAT THE SITUATION WILL, IF ANYTHING, DETERIORATE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, DESPITE THE WELFARE CLASS REVIEW IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND AN INCREASE IN SUPPLY FROM TRAINING INSTITUTIONS.
THIS COULD POSE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN ACHIEVING THE TARGETS SET OUT IN THE 1977 WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION AND THE 1979 WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE.
HE SUGGESTED THE SOLUTION, IF ONLY ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, OF RELAXING THE REQUIREMENT FOR A DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK FOR ENTRY INTO THE RANK OF ASSISTANT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER.
SOME MIGHT ARGUE THAT THIS WOULD DILUTE THE QUALITY OF THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION BUT IT IS SURELY MORE IMPORTANT THAT OUR SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMMES SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ON SCHEDULE, HE SAID.
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HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE SOME FORM IN-SERVICE TRAINING OR TO GRANT STUDY LEAVE FOR OFFICERS TO OBTAIN POST-GRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS IF NECESSARY, AND THAT MANY OF THE GRADUATE OFFICERS IN THE DEPARTMENT APPOINTED BEFORE 1972 DID NOT HAVE A SOCIAL WORK DEGREE AND YET HAVE SERVED THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY WELL OVER THE YEARS.
GOVT URGED TO FIND SOLUTION QUICKLY TO HIGH HOUSING COSTS
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THE REV. THE HON. PATRICK MCGOVERN WARNED THE GOVERNMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT A SOLUTION MUST BE FOUND QUICKLY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF HOUSING COSTS.
+ IF NOT, WE WILL HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE COST OF HOUSING WILL BE SO FAR BEYOND THE POCKET OF THE ORDINARY CITIZEN, OR EVEN PERHAPS THE EXTRAORDINARY MULTI-NATIONAL CITIZEN, THAT EITHER THE NEW HOUSES WILL REMAIN UNOCCUPIED, OR WAGES OR THEIR EQUIVALENT IN HOUSING ALLOWANCES OR SUBSIDIES WILL BE INCREASED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT WE WILL BE INTO A SELF-DEFEATING SPIRAL OF INFLATION.
FR. MCGOVERN SAID SOME FACTORS IN THE HIGH COST ARE INTERNAL AND ARE WITHIN OUR POWER TO CONTROL ONE OF THEM IS GREED, SOMETIMES EUPHEMISTICALLY CALLED THE PROFIT MOTIVE.+
/HE SAID
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