SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1985
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ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO HAVE ALL DIRECTORATE POSTS FILLED BY CHINESE OFFICERS IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997,
SIR DAVID SAID, +YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION ABOUT THE GRADES IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE WHICH WILL BE OCCUPIED BY LOCAL PEOPLE.+
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, HE SAID THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS OFFICERS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE HAD BEEN GRADUALLY REDUCING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IN ABSOLUTE TERMS.
+ IT WON'T AFFECT HONG KONG, HE SAID.
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SIR DAVID LAUNCHES SECOND ABILYMPIC ******
THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY (SATURDAY) CALLED ON THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO HELP THE DISABLED TO HELP THEMSELVES AND TO SERVE HONG KONG.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SECOND HONG KONG ABILYMPIC AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, SIR DAVID SAID THAT ON EACH WORKING DAY A DISABLED WORKER MET PEOPLE WHO BY THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND SUPPORT COULD MAKE HIM FEEL A PART OF THE HUMAN FAMILY,
AN EMPLOYER OF A DISABLED PERSON, NOT ONLY PROVIDED THE WORK TO BE DONE BUT ALSO CREATED AN INVISIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SOCIETY, GIVING OTHERS A CHANCE TO RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT THE DISABLED AS EQUAL MEMBERS OF THAT SOCIETY, HE SAID.
AND THE AIM OF THE ABILYMPIC, SIR DAVID SAID, WAS TO DEMONSTRATE TO EMPLOYERS IN HONG KONG THAT MANY DISABLED PERSONS, DESPITE THEIR DISABILITY, WERE ABLE TO WORK, SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND LEAD HAPPY AND RESOURCEFUL LIVES.
SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT FULLY SUPPORTED THESE OBJECTIVES.
THERE WERE NEARLY 2 000 DISABLED PERSONS ALREADY EMPLOYED IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD REFER DISABLED JOB-SEEKERS TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS.
SIR DAVID SAID THAT SINCE 1981 WHEN HONG KONG HAD ITS FIRST ABILYMPIC, COMMITTED AND RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYERS HAD TAKEN ON DISABLED PEOPLE IN A WIDE RANGE OF WORK.
THESE EMPLOYERS, HE SAID, BY THEIR PRESENCE HERE TODAY EMPHASISED THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHEME.
SIR DAVID THEN PRESENTED SOUVENIRS TO TEN EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE ENGAGED THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DISABLED PERSONS AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FOR THE PART THAT THEY HAD PLAYED IN THE REHABILITATION OF THE DISABLED.
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