WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3,
1993
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SPEECH BY SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, AT MOTION DEBATE ON RETIREMENT PROTECTION IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT,
THIS DEBATE FOLLOWS HOT ON THE HEELS OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSALS FOR A COMMUNITY-WIDE RETIREMENT PROTECTION SYSTEM. I AM GRATIFIED BY THE EXTENT OF THE PUBLIC RESPONSE. WE HAVE RECEIVED, BY CLOSE OF PLAY YESTERDAY, 119 DIRECT WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS, AND SOME MORE ARE PROBABLY STILL ON THE WAY. I SHOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE ORGANISATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THE CONSULTATION PAPER, AS WELL AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN IN THIS DEBATE, FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, I WISH ALSO ΤΟ ASSURE THEM THAT THEIR VIEWS AND SUGGESTIONS WILL BE FULLY CONSIDERED.
THE WORKING GROUP ON RETIREMENT PROTECTION WILL SHORTLY RECONVENE ΤΟ STUDY ALL THE COMMENTS RECEIVED AND CONSIDER WHAT MODIFICATIONS, IF ANY, SHOULD BE MADE TO ITS PROPOSALS. THE GROUP WILL WORK WITH ALL DUE DESPATCH, WHILE TAKING CARE NOT TO RUSH то CONCLUSIONS ON WHAT ARE CLEARLY MATTERS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND COMPLEXITY. IT WILL THEN SUBMIT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL FOR DECISION.
SINCE NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN TAKEN, 1 BELIEVE MEMBERS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT IN A POSITION NOW TO RESPOND DEFINITIVELY, OR EVEN COMPREHENSIVELY, TO ALL THE POINTS THEY HAVE MADE. NEVERTHELESS, AND WITHOUT WISHING TO PRE-EMPT FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN ANY
WAY, I SHOULD LIKE TO OFFER A FEW COMMENTS ON SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES.
COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY
SOME MEMBERS HAVE CRITICISED THE PROPOSALS IN THE CONSULTATION PAPER FOR FAILING то PROTECT THOSE WHO HAVE RETIRED OR WHO ARE APPROACHING RETIREMENT. IT IS TRUE THAT SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD GET LITTLE PROTECTION, IF AT ALL, FROM THE PROPOSED SYSTEM. BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. IT IS IN THE NATURE OF RETIREMENT PROTECTION SCHEMES THAT BENEFITS ARE PROPORTIONATE TO THE SIZE AND DURATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS. THERE IS, IN ANY CASE, ALREADY ALTERNATIVE FOR THOSE NEARING RETIREMENT, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR LONG SERVICE PAYMENTS. WE ENVISAGE THE LSP SCHEME TO CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME.
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TO A WASTE
SOME MEMBERS HAVE CALLED SPECIFICALLY FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION, OR A UNIVERSAL OLD AGE PENSION. GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THIS WAS EXPLAINED TO THIS COUNCIL IN DETAIL BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, IN ANSWER QUESTION FROM MR MCGREGOR ON 2 DECEMBER LAST YEAR. RATHER THAN THE COUNCIL'S TIME RY REPEATING THE EXPLANATION HERE, I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE JUST TWO POINTS:
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FIRST, IT
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