+
25
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1980
SIR MURRAY SAID THERE WERE NOW 150 NURSES IN THE COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE AND THIS NUMBER WOULD BE DOUBLED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS TO FREE HOSPITAL BEDS.
HE DESCRIBED THE SERVICE AS BEING SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR.
DSW LOOKING INTO ADEQUACY OF ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCES
*****
THE GOVERNMENT IS EXAMINING WHETHER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCES ADEQUATELY REFLECT CHANGES IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND WHETHER THE RENT ALLOWANCE IS REALISTIC, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE EXAMINATION, HE SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WAS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE.
PROGRAMMES FOR THE ELDERLY HAD BEEN DELAYED FOR LACK OF SUITABLE SITES FOR INSTITUTIONS.
+BUT, + SAID SIR MURRAY, IT IS HOPED THAT AT LEAST 5 000 NEW PLACES IN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE ELDERLY WILL BE PROVIDED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, WHETHER IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES OR SEPARATELY BUILT HOMES.+
HE SAID THE SITUATION SHOULD BE EASED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF A QUOTA FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, WHO WOULD BE GIVEN QUICKER ACCESS TO PUBLIC HOUSING.
SIR MURRAY WARNED THAT THE ADEQUACY OF THE PROVISION IN DEVELOPING PROGRAMMES COULD LOOK RADICALLY DIFFERENT IF THE NORMAL GROWTH OF POPULATION CONTINUES TO BE SWOLLEN BY MASSIVE
IMMIGRATION+.
HE SAID THE PROVISION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE IN 1980/81 INCREASED BY 19 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT LARGER INCREASES WERE EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AS THE WHITE PAPER PROJECTS, PUBLISHED LAST YEAR, WERE BROUGHT INTO OPERATION.
THE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE WAS EXTENDED TO THE PROFOUNDLY DEAF AND THE DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT WAS INTRODUCED FOR PARTIALLY DISABLED PEOPLE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
LAST MONTH, THE RATES OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE WERE RAISED BY 22 PER CENT TO MAINTAIN THE IR PURCHASING POWER.
HE SAID SATISFACTORY PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE 1977 REHABILITATION WHITE PAPER CONTINUED AND THAT THE FIRST ESSENTIAL WAS TO SPOT HANDICAPS AT AN EARLY STAGE.
/CONSIDERABLE