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I hope to complete all these studies in the next three to six months. I will, of course, aim to report progress to the relevant LegCo Panel from time to time.
With these remarks. Mr President, I urge Members to support the Bill.
End
Speech by Secretary for Health and Welfare on Budget
Following is a speech by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, at the Budget debate in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
This afternoon, before I address the main issues raised by Members in their speeches last week, I would like to reiterate that in this financial year, I have just over $39 billion in recurrent expenditure- $22.6 billion on health and $16.5 billion on welfare. These figures represent real increases, that is over and above inflation, of 4.4% for health and 14.7% for welfare over last year.
WELFARE
Taking welfare first, these figures are impressive in themselves. But what is important is that they represent the funds that will enable us to expand and improve our welfare services on all fronts. That means the elderly, people with a disability, families, young people and children.
I should like to reassure those Members who are concerned that welfare spending is getting out of hand, that we are expanding our services in a financially prudent way. We are not breaching our budgetary guidelines.
I will now move onto the two main issues which many Members addressed during the budget debate: Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and the Elderly.
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