THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1982
FURTHERMORE, THE ADOPTION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF REPORT NO. 8 OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE TO LOWER THE ENTRY POINT OF THE SOCIAL WORK ASSISTANT WILL ALSO DISCOURAGE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN FROM ACQUIRING SOCIAL WORK TRAINING, AND HAMPER THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPTS TO EXPAND SOCIAL WORK STUDENT ENROLMENTS.
+TO EFFECTIVELY ALLEVIATE THE SOCIAL WELFARE PERSONNEL SHORTAGE, DR HO SAID, +COUNTER-MEASURES IN IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF WORK AND EMPLOYMENT MUST BE TAKEN ALONGSIDE THE EXPANSION OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENT INTAKE.
+AS A FIRST AND IMMEDIATE STEP, I SUGGEST THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER REINSTATEMENT OF THE ENTRY SALARY POINT FOR SOCIAL WELFARE ASSISTANTS TO THE ORIGINAL POINT 17 OF THE MASTER PAY SCALE.+
CALL FOR STUDY OF IMMIGRATION POLICY
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THE HON ALLEN LEE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO EXAMINE ITS EXISTING POLICY ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
HE RECALLED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD GREATLY REDUCED THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BY PUTTING A STOP TO THE +REACH-BASE+ POLICY IN 1980.
BUT THERE WERE STILL SOME 55 000 LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ENTERED HONG KONG FROM CHINA LAST YEAR, HE SAID,
+WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHAT IS SO 'LEGAL' ABOUT THESE PEOPLE WHO ONLY POSSESS AN EXIT PERMIT?+ MR LEE ASKED.
+WHAT RIGHT DO THEY HAVE TO STAY IN HONG KONG?
+ IS IT THE POLICY OF OUR GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT A CHINESE NATIONAL TO STAY IN HONG KONG UPON ARRIVAL?
+ IF IT IS, THEN I BELIEVE WE NEED TO EXAMINE THIS POLICY, + HE SAID.
MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THIS UNPLANNED POPULATION GROWTH WHICH HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD TO ALLOW, WERE ASSOCIATED WITH TOO MANY PROBLEMS, SUCH AS HOUSING, SQUATTERS, SOCIAL WELFARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, TRANSPORT, LAW AND ORDER, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT.
ALTHOUGH HE BELIEVED A CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA WAS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, HE NEVERTHELESS CONSIDERED IT NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IF HONG KONG'S PROGRAMMES WERE DISRUPTED BY IMMIGRATION.
+ DO HOPE THAT AN EARLY SOLUTION COULD BE ARRIVED AT WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN THE CONTROL OF THE NUMBER OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM THE MAINLAND, HE SAID.
/DEALING WITH