WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1991
7
RETIREMENT PROTECTION IS, OF COURSE, ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE WIDER ISSUE OF CARE AND ATTENTION FOR THE ELDERLY. BY ITS VERY NATURE, RETIREMENT PROTECTION WOULD, CONCEPTUALLY AT LEAST, PROVIDE ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN PAID EMPLOYMENT PRIOR TO RETIREMENT. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WILL NOT BE COVERED BY ANY RETIREMENT SCHEMES. AND THERE MAY WELL BE OTHERS WHO, NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROTECTION AFFORDED BY RETIREMENT SCHEMES, FIND THEMSELVES IN NEED OF CARE AND OTHER SERVICES BEYOND WHAT THEIR RETIREMENT SCHEMES COULD PROVIDE. I SHALL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE TO COMMENT ON THE WIDER ISSUE: MEANWHILE, SHE AND I WILL ENSURE THAT THE WORK WHICH WE ARE DOING IN
RESPECTIVE POLICY AREAS, AND WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO CONTRIBUTE THE PROVISION OF IMPROVED CARE AND OTHER SERVICES TO THE ELDERLY, PROPERLY CO-ORDINATED.
OUR
ΤΟ
IS
FINALLY, MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT, SINCE MISS EMILY LAU HAS ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION SPECIFICALLY TO ME, I WOULD WISH TO ATTEMPT TO RESPOND.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO SPECIFIC POLICY REGARDING the PROVISION OF EDUCATION OR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, ALTHOUGH EQUALLY THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC POLICIES DEBARRING THEM FROM SUCH OPPORTUNITIES AS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, EXCEPT
EMPLOYMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE BEYOND THE STIPULATED
DISREGARD
OF RETIREMENT.
AGE
I SHOULD WISH TO REFLECT ON WHAT MORE COULD OR SHOULD BE DONE IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THE ELDERLY. FOR I FULLY SUBSCRIBED TO THE UNDERLINING PHILOSOPHY THAT WE SHOULD TREAT OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AS AN ASSET AND A RESOURCE, RATHER THAN A LIABILITY TO SENIOR THE COMMUNITY. BUT I WOULD FEEL MORE ENCOURAGED IF THE FACT OF CITIZENS REMAINING IN EMPLOYMENT IS NOT SO FREQUENTLY HELD UP AS AN EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE FOR ELDERLY.
THE
0
SES ON CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINER TERMINAL 9
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN, IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY):
MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT,
MY
ALLOW ME TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE POINTS MADE BY HONOURABLE MEMBERS. I WILL COVER GENERAL ECONOMIC AND PORT-RELATED MATTERS. COLLEAGUE, MR GRAHAM BARNES, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, WILL COVER PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRAFFIC
CONSIDERATIONS.
LET ME FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PORT FACILITIES. I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO COVER MOST OF MEMBERS' CONCERNS IN THIS AREA.
/AN EFFECTIVE