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THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986
HE SAID GANG ACTIVITY AND DELINQUENT AND UNRULY BEHAVIOUR AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE A CAUSE FOR GROWING GOVERNMENT CONCERN. TO ILLUSTRATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM, HE SAID, AT RECENT MEETINGS OF THE SHAU KEI WAN HILLSIDE AREA COMMITTEE A MAJOR ISSUE WAS THE INCREASING PRESENCE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GANGS AND YOUNG DRUG ADDICTS.
AREA COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE AWARE THAT IT WAS A COMPLEX SOCIAL AND HUMAN ISSUE AND POLICE ACTION WAS NOT REALLY A CONSTRUCTIVE REMEDY. BUT MR CHAN SAID THEY HAD TO PRESS THE POLICE REPRESENTATIVE TO DO SOMETHING AS THEY DID NOT HAVE AN OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK TEAM IN THE AREA AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE COMMITTEE SINCE APRIL LAST YEAR.
HE EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THERE WAS NO REAL GROWTH IN THE PROVISION OF PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
THE NUMBER OF OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK TEAMS STOOD STILL AT ONLY 18 AND THE RATIO OF STUDENTS TO SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS REMATVEJ AT 4 000 TO ONE.
+ IF THE PLANNED PROVISION AS SET OUT IN THE FIVE YEAR REVIE OF SOCIAL SERVICE MEANS ANYTHING AT ALL, THE CURRENT PROVISION MEANS A SHORTFALL OF 50 PER CENT.
+TO ME AS A LAYMAN, I WOULD INTERPRET IT THAT GOVERNMENT 15 ONLY DEALING WITH HALF OF THE PROBLEM WHILE LEAVING THE OTHER HALF AS IDE, + HE SAID.
+THIS AND OTHER SHORTFALLS ARE VERY UNSATISFACTORY. + HE COMMENTED, POINTING OUT THAT THERE WAS A SHORTFALL OF ABOUT 83 SOCIAL CENTRES AND 14 MULTI-SERVICE CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY, AS WELL AS A SHORTFALL IN SHELTERED WORKSHOP PLACES.
AMBIGUITY SEEN IN SOCIAL WELFARE
*****
AS FAR AS SOCIAL WELFARE IS CONCERNED, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AMBIGUITY REGARDING PUBLIC POLICY AND FUNDING PRIORITIES AS WELL AS CAUTION IN SETTING OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S FINANCIAL COMMITMENT, THE HON HUI YIN-FAT TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE, MR HUI CONCEDED THAT THE ALLOCATION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE HAD RISEN FROM 4.2 PER CENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TOTAL EXPENDITURE IN 1981-82 TO 5.8 PER CENT IN 1986-87. HOWEVER 59.4 PER CENT OF THE ALLOCATION WOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES SCHEMES WHILE ONLY 17.1 PER CENT WENT TOWARDS SOCIAL WELFARE SUBVENTIONS FOR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.
THE PERCENTAGE