13
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994
1.
FOR THE
INTO BETTER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES ELDERLY IN THE HOUSING AND THE HEALTH AND THE WELFARE FIELDS.
2.
AS FAR AS CSSA RATES WERE CONCERNED, AS FAR AS THE PROVISION OF BENEFIT WAS CONCERNED, TO CONCENTRATE THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAD ON SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES AND ON CHILDREN.
1
THINK THOSE WERE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES BUT IF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS OTHER PRIORITIES THEN OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE OF LISTENING TO THEM WHEN HE SPEAKS ON THE POLICY COMMITMENTS IN MY POLICY ADDRESS A LITTLE LATER IN THE MONTH,
IF
I DO THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND FOR OTHERS OUTSIDE, TO RECOGNISE THAT WHILE IT IS TOTALLY RIGHT FOR US TO TRY TO USE SOME OF THE PROCEEDS OF A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY FOR ENHANCING WELFARE AND OTHER PROGRAMMES, WHILE THAT IS A REFLECTION OF OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A COMMUNITY, WE GO TOO FAR AND IF WE TRY TOO RAPIDLY ΤΟ MEET EVERY SOCIAL OBJECTIVE, WE WON'T ANY LONGER BE ABLE TO BE A LOW TAX COMMUNITY, WE WON'T ANY LONGER BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE BUSINESS INVESTMENT, THE REPUTATION FOR COMPETITIVENESS WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR OUR CONTINUING SUCCESS. AND I THINK BALANCING THE DEMANDS FOR MORE WELFARE SPENDING AGAINST THE DEMANDS OF OUR ECONOMY WILL CONTINUE TO BE IMPORTANT, EVEN SHOULD THE HONOURABLE MEMBER, WHICH I'M SURE WOULD BE WIDELY WELCOMED, BECOME THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE SAR.
MR WONG WAI-YIN: JUST NOW THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT FOR THE CHILDREN AND THE SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITIES THIS YEAR, AND HE STRESSES THAT WHEN I SPEAK ON THE MOTION CONCERNING THE POLICY ADDRESS I CAN MAKE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. NOW MR GOVERNOR, IN THE PAST YEARS DID YOU HEAR THE VIEWS OF LEGCO MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE VIEWS OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS, THEY HAVE ASKED FOR THE IMMEDIATE UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF THE PA ALLOWANCE OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE, DID YOU HEAR THESE VIEWS. THESE HAVE BEEN SAID FOR MANY YEARS, WHY IS IT THAT YOU ASK US TO CONTINUE SAYING THESE THINGS? I HOPE THAT MR GOVERNOR YOU CAN REALLY GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE ELDERLY PEOPLE. AS YOU SAY IN THE PAST DID A LOT FOR HONG KONG AND IN THEIR ELDERLY YEARS WE HOPE THAT CAN LIVE A BETTER LIFE AND SO I HOPE THAT MR GOVERNOR YOU CAN RECONSIDER INCREASING THE CSSA PAYMENT FOR THE ELDERLY.
GOVERNOR:
THEY THEY
I SAID THAT THE PRIORITIES WHICH WE'D SET OURSELVES THIS YEAR WERE FOR IMPROVING SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, AND AS FAR AS SCALE RATES WERE CONCERNED, FOR IMPROVING SCALE RATES FOR THE SINGLE PARENTS AND FOR CHILDREN, SO YOU MUSTN'T, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER MUSTN'T LEAVE OUT THE ACTUAL RESOURCES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOR THE ELDERLY. WE HAVE IN THE PAST, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW, LISTENING TO HIM AND OTHERS, IMPROVED BENEFITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE ELDERLY. I AM VERY KEEN THAT WE SHOULD PROVIDE THE ELDERLY WITH AS MUCH FINANCIAL SECURITY AS POSSIBLE, WHICH SINCE I FORGOT TO MENTION IT BEFORE, IS WHY I AM IN FAVOUR OF OUR OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME, AND I SURE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS TOO BECAUSE HE IS VERY SENSIBLE IN DISCUSSING THESE MATTERS.
/MR EDWARD HO: