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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993
WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE PRECISE WAYS IN WHICH THE FUND SHOULD BE MANAGED WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS, WITH THIS COUNCIL, WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG COMMITMENT FOR THE FUTURE. BUT I THINK IT IS AN IMAGINATIVE STEP, I THINK IT IS A PRUDENT STEP, AND I DON'T REGARD IT AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A REASONABLE AND HANDSOME OFFER BY THE HONG KONG TAXPAYER TO THOSE WHO SERVE THE HONG KONG TAXPAYER SO EXTRAORDINARILY WELL.
MR HUI YIN-FAT: THANK YOU, SIR. MR GOVERNOR, WE WELCOME YOUR PROMISE ΤΟ PROVIDE MORE NURSING AND CARE AND ATTENTION HOME PLACES FOR THE ELDERLY. BUT HOW ARE THESE PLACES TO BE PROVIDED, BY PRIVATE OPERATORS OR BY SUBVENTED WELFARE AGENCIES? DO YOU THINK THE PROVISION OF THESE ADDITIONAL PLACES MIGHT BE HAMPERED, FIRSTLY, BY THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION ON THE OPERATION OF SUCH HOMES NEXT YEAR, AND SECONDLY, BY THE SHORTAGE OF MANPOWER? IF SO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES?
THE GOVERNOR: THE SECOND POINT WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER MADE IS ONE ON WHICH I KNOW THE COUNCIL WILL WISH TO BE SATISFIED WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION COMES FORWARD WITH LEGISLATION ON CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS BECAUSE WHILE THE WHOLE COUNCIL WISHES TO SEE THE BEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS OF CARE IN THESE HOMES, IT DOES NOT WANT TO SEE A RISE IN STANDARDS LEAD TO A SUBSTANTIAL FALL IN PLACES. SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO GO FOR THE BEST QUALITY, BUT DO SO IN A SENSIBLE AND FLEXIBLE WAY WHICH ENSURES THAT WE DO NOT LOSE A LARGE NUMBER OF PLACES AND SEE ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN TURFED-OUT, AS IT WERE, ON TO THE STREET. WE ARE DETERMINED TO AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RAISING STANDARDS OF CARE. 1 THINK WE WILL WANT TO PROVIDE THESE ADDITIONAL PLACES THROUGH ALL THE MEANS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND WE WILL WANT TO DO SO AT THE SAME TIME AS WE IMPROVE SAFETY STANDARDS, AS WE IMPROVE STAFFING PROVISION, IN THE HOMES IN QUESTION. I DON'T, MYSELF, BELIEVE THE SORT OF OBLIGATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO PLACE ON THOSE PROVIDING CARE AND ATTENTION PLACES IN TERMS OF STAFF NUMBERS, COULD CONCEIVABLY BE REGARDED AS EXCESSIVELY ONEROUS, BUT THAT WILL BE A POINT WHICH THE COUNCIL HAVE TO DECIDE FOR ITSELF IN DUE COURSE.
MR LAU WAH-SUM: MR GOVERNOR, THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE VERY ABOUT INFLATION ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT IT HAS FALLEN A BIT IN RECENT CONCERNED MONTHS BUT VERY FEW PARAGRAPHS IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS WERE DEVOTED TO THE QUESTION OF INFLATION SO DO YOU HAVE A GOOD SOLUTION TO PROBLEM?
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THANK YOU.
/THE GOVERNOR: