FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992
QUESTION:
10
MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH YOU HAVE A BIG REHABILITATION PROGRAMME. YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT SHELTER WORKSHOP AND ACTIVITY CENTRES, BUT YOU HAVE NOT MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT JOB TRAINING FOR THE DISABLED PEOPLE. IN THE LAST YEARS, IT HAS BEEN PROVED THAT, WITH THE RIGHT CURRICULUM AND WITH THE RIGHT TRAINING, THE DISABLED PEOPLE CAN BE RE-INTEGRATED INTO THE SOCIETY. SOME OF THEM CAN WORK AS CLERKS IN THE OFFICE OR WORK AS MACHINE OPERATORS IN FACTORIES. AND, ANOTHER THING. WHY IS THERE NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT JOB TRAINING IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH? DON'T YOU THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT? AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO ASK YOU ΤΟ BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TEACHERS' QUALIFICATION AT THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR THE DISABLED STUDENTS. FOR THESE TEACHERS, THE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENT WAS VERY LOW, SO HOW CAN THEY COPE WITH THE ECONOMIC RE- STRUCTURING AND HOW CAN THEY COPE WITH THE TENDENCY OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY-ORIENTED ECONOMY? I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ASK
BUT, AS I HAVE PROMISED YOU TO ASK ONE ONLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE IN MY LETTER.
REST
GOVERNOR:
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU ARE ENTIRELY RIGHT ΤΟ EXPRESS, WHICH I THINK IS A WIDELY HELD VIEW IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT AS A CIVILISED COMMUNITY, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL SOCIAL CONSCIENCE, WE SHOULD DO MORE TO ASSIST THE DISABLED. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S NOT PATRONISING, IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T TREAT DISABLED PEOPLE AS THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE CONSIDERABLE QUALITIES TO OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY. WHAT IT MEANS IS GIVING DISABLED PEOPLE THE CHANCE, THE OPPORTUNITY, TO DEVELOP TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AND THAT, OF COURSE, MEANS ENSURING THAT THEY ARE TRAINED TO USE THE SKILLS THAT THEY HAVE. I DIDN'T MENTION TRAINING OF THE DISABLED SPECIFICALLY IN MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SPEECH, BUT I DID REFER TO OUR UNDERTAKING TO MEET THE KEY TARGETS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON REHABILITATION WHICH, OF COURSE, TOUCHES ON TRAINING AMONG OTHER ISSUES. BUT I REPEAT WE ARE DOING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY A GOOD TURN WHEN WE ENABLE THE DISABLED TO MAKE A FULL CONTRIBUTION
COMMUNITY SERVICES, BECAUSE THIS, ABOVE ALL, IS A COMMUNITY WHICH NEEDS TO MAKE THE MOST OF ALL ITS TALENTS AND THAT VERY DEFINITELY INCLUDES THE TALENTS OF THOSE WHO HAVE A DISABILITY. AND I WILL SEND YOU A REPLY TO YOUR LETTER, LIKE ALL SERVANTS, WITHIN TEN DAYS.
—
GOOD CIVIL
QUESTION:
MR GOVERNOR, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO A QUESTION TIME WITH THE GOVERNOR. WELCOME TO HONG KONG. I CAME NOT TO ASK A QUESTION BUT TO EXPRESS HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE PREVIOUS THREE QUESTION TIMES. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I SAW ON TELEVISION THAT YOU COMPLAINED THAT PEOPLE WERE ASKING TOO LONG QUESTIONS AND ONLY 11 QUESTIONERS WERE ABLE TO BRING UP THEIR QUESTIONS. BUT I FOUND A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES THERE. THEY BELONG TO THE THREE-TIER COUNCILS. I THINK IT IS VERY UNFAIR BECAUSE ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN CHANNEL EXPRESS THE OPINION TO YOU. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO OCCUPY THE ONLY TIME THAT WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU DIRECTLY? ESPECIALLY I FOUND THAT A LADY WHO IS A DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER; SHE WENT TO THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE TO SEE YOU WITH HER GROUP AND, AT ONE OF THE QUESTION TIMES, SHE READ FROM A THICK PILE OF PAPERS JUST AS IF SHE WAS CHAIRMAN OF HER OWN GROUP.
QUESTIONING
ΤΟ
THE
/AFTER I