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Enquiries can be made to the secretary to the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee in Room 553, East Wing, Central Government Offices or on 2810 3503.
The Advisory Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary. Other members are Dr Raymond Ch'ien, Mr JD McGregor, Mr Cheung Hon-chung, Mr Lau Chin-shek, the Secretary for Health and Welfare, and the Secretary for the Treasury.
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$105 million paid to traffic accident victims
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) paid out more than $105 million from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Fund to traffic accident victims or their dependants in 1994/95.
According to the 1994/95 TAVA Fund annual report, a total of 5,740 applications were received during the period, representing a slight decrease of 0.9 per cent compared with 5,791 applications in 1993/94.
The TAVA scheme, operating since 1979, is one of the social security schemes administered by the SWD.
"It aims to provide speedy financial assistance to traffic accident victims or their dependants, regardless of the means of the family or the element of fault in causing the accident," a spokesman for the department said today (Saturday). During 1994/95, the SWD handled 31 cases of serious traffic accidents in which heavy casualties were involved.
The accident resulting in the largest number of casualties occurred on December 12, 1994 when a double deck Citybus overturned at Shek Pai Wan Road, Aberdeen, killing one person and injuring 45 others.
Up to the end of March 1995, a total amount of $112,303 have been paid to 27 victims who were found eligible for assistance from this accident.
"To be eligible for assistance, an application must be made within the six months of the accident which must have been reported to the police," the spokesman said.