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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1980
MECHANISM TO REVIEW SOCIAL SERVICES
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A READY AND EFFECTIVE MECHANISM ALREADY EXISTS WHICH REGULARLY REVIEWS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES IN HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELDERLY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
REFERRING TO A RECENT STATEMENT BY A STUDENT GROUP ON SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT AN ON-GOING FIVE- YEAR PLAN FOR SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT WAS REVIEWED EACH YEAR BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY WELFARE SECTOR TO MONITOR PROGRESS AND ADJUST PRIORITIES AGAINST CHANGING NEEDS.
HE SAID THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN SET OUT SPECIFIC PROGRAMMES OF DEVELOPMENT IN EACH MAJOR AREA OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN IN THE WHITE PAPER +SOCIAL WELFARE INTO THE 1980'S+.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, A 10-YEAR PROGRAMME PLAN SPECIFICIALLY ON SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY WAS PREPARED IN 1977 FOLLOWING A SYSTEMATIC STUDY BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF OLD PEOPLE. THIS PROGRAMME PLAN FORMED THE BASIS FOR THE PROPOSALS IN THE 1977 GREEN PAPER AND THEN IN THE 1979 WHITE PAPER.
SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY WILL AGAIN BE LOOKED AT CLOSELY LATER THIS YEAR WHEN A REVIEW IS MADE OF THE PROGRAMME PLAN, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THE NEED FOR MORE INSTITUTIONS FOR THE ELDERLY HAD NOT BEEN NEGLECTED AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONTINUING TO PLAN ADDITIONAL INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES WITHIN APPROVED GUIDELINES.
HE SAID EFFORTS WERE MADE TO SEE THAT PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE MATERIALISED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT SOME FACTORS WERE BEYOND CONTROL.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOME CASES, HE EXPLAINED, SITES ORIGINALLY EARMARKED HAVE PROVED UNSUITABLE OR GEOTECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED, WHILST IN OTHER CASES, THE LAND GRANTS HAVE TAKEN LONGER TO FINALISE THAN ORIGINALLY EXPECTED.
THESE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE CAUSED CHANGES IN THE ORIGINAL COMPLETION DATES FOR SOME PROJECTS, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID INTER-DEPARTMENTAL DISCUSSIONS WERE TAKING PLACE IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE LAND GRANTS AND EARMARK SUITABLE SITES.
IF THINGS WENT SMOOTHLY AS PLANNED, HE SAID, THERE WOULD BE AN EXTRA 3 620 INSTITUTIONAL PLACES FOR THE ELDERLY BY 1982-83.
THESE WILL BE ADDITIONAL TO THE PLANNED EXPANSION IN HEALTH SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR OLD PEOPLE, WHICH MIGHT HAVE AN EFFECT OF EASING THE DEMAND FOR INSTITUTIONAL CARE, HE SAID.
/AS REGARDS