WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1993
THE CONSULTATION PERIOD FOR THE ARTS POLICY REVIEW REPORT IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH.
THE GOVERNMENT WILL COLLATE AND ANALYSE ALL VIEWS EXPRESSED BEFORE DRAWING UP A DEFINITIVE SET OF POLICY PROPOSALS.
SINCE THE CURRENT CONSULTATION EXERCISE HAS ATTRACTED AND IS STILL ATTRACTING A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLIC OPINIONS FROM ALL QUARTERS AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS YET TO FIRM UP ITS POLICY PROPOSALS, THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD ABSTAINED FROM VOTING ON TODAY'S MOTION.
MOTION DEBATE ON REHABILITATION SERVICES
FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON INTEGRATION OF
REHABILITATION SERVICES:
MR PRESIDENT,
JUST AS WE, EARLIER ON, STOOD IN SILENT TRIBUTE TO OUR DEAR FRIEND THE LATE HON STEPHEN CHEONG KAM-CHUEN, SO WE NOW STAND UP TO BE COUNTED. ON 26 FEBRUARY THE LEGCO WELFARE PANEL PLEDGED THEIR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT REHABILITATION SERVICES IN TUNG TAU ESTATE AND AT LAGUNA CITY. I NOW CALL ON THE WHOLE COUNCIL то DO LIKEWISE. I THANK THE HONOURABLE FRED LI AND MANY OTHER HONOURABLE MEMBERS FOR THEIR STAUNCH SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENT'S WELL-ESTABLISHED POLICY AND STANCE ON REHABILITATION AND INTEGRATION AND SO MOVINGLY AND SINCERELY EXPRESSED. HERE, I WOULD LIKE то TAKE TODAY'S OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE MEDIA AND THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS WHO HAVE STOOD SO FIRMLY BEHIND THE
POLICY.
INTEGRATION
INTEGRATION IS THE VERY CORNER-STONE OP OUR REHABILITATION POLICY. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW. IT HAS BEEN AN OBJECTIVE FOR 16 YEARS. IT WAS LAID DOWN IN THE FIRST WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION ENTITLED "INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE COMMUNITY : A UNITED EFFORT" PUBLISHED IN 1977. THIS POLICY WAS REAFFIRMED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC CONSULTATIVE EXERCISE ON THE GREEN PAPER ON REHABILITATION, PUBLISHED LAST YEAR.
IT
SUPPORT FOR INTEGRATION IS NOT LIP-SERVICE BUT REAL ACTION. IS NOT A CONCEPT BUT A CULTURE. IT IS NOT A PRETEXT BUT A PRACTICE. IT SHOULD NOT BE A POINT OF CONTROVERSY. IT SHOULD BE A WAY OF LIFE. FOR A SOCIETY IS JUDGED BY THE WAY IT TREATS THE VULNERABLE IN ITS MIDST.
/REHABILITATION SERVICES