FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1990
4
THAT IT HAD THE AMBITIOUS PUBLIC
YEAR FOR THE
AHEAD, MR SHIPLEY PREDICTED CONTINUED HEAVY DEMANDS ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, BUT SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THE RESILIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO TAKE PROGRAMMES PLEDGED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
FORWARD
TODAY'S RECEPTION WAS ATTENDED BY ABOUT 400 REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS, AND SENIOR STAFF OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN PREPARING SOCIAL WELFARE WHITE PAPER
* * * * * *
THE GOVERNMENT IS ADOPTING A TWO-STAGE APPROACH TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN FORMULATING A WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES AND SERVICES FOR THE 1990'S AND BEYOND.
SPEAKING AT THE SHA TIN DISTRICT BOARD MEETING TODAY (FRIDAY), THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR MARTIN WHITE, DESCRIBED THIS APPROACH AS A DEPARTURE FROM PAST, AND IT AIMED TO EQUIP THE WORKING PARTY WITH THE VEIWS OF THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF FORMULATING THE WHITE PAPER.
STAGE.
"THIS APPROACH INVOLVES THE PREPARATORY STAGE AND THE DRAFTING
"THE FIRST STAGE WAS LAUNCHED IN EARLY DECEMBER 1989, PRIOR ΤΟ THE APPOINTMENT OF THE WORKING PARTY. PUBLICITY PAMPHLETS, PRESS RELEASES, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS THROUGH MASS MEDIA WERE USED ΤΟ INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO GIVE VIEWS ON THE ADEQUACIES OR OTHERWISE OF CURRENT WELFARE POLICIES AND SERVICES," MR WHITE SAID.
COPIES OF A BACKGROUND INFORMATION PAPER ON EXISTING SERVICES HAD BEEN MADE AVAILABLE AT CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFFICES, AS REFERENCE MATERIAL TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO FACILITATE THEIR GIVING OF VIEWS.
GENERAL POST OFFICE BOX NO. 7333 HAD BEEN RENTED UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY FOR RECEIPT OF PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS, HE SAID.
MR WHITE STRESSED THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISHED TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AFTER THAT DATE COULD WRITE TO THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE OR TO SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE FIRST STAGE AIMED AT PUBLIC IN THE PROCESS OF THE FORMULATION OF THE WHITE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE.
THE
INVOLVING PAPER AT THE
/THE VIEWS