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Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions (Amendment) Bill
Following is a speech by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in moving the second reading of the Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions (Amendment) Bill in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
I move that the Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions (Amendment) Bill be read a second time.
At present, pensions and allowances are provided to veterans of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps and the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force who fought in defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. Payments are made by reference to the UK Naval, Military and Air Forces etc (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order. We feel that it is appropriate to establish a local payment scheme and to remove the reference to the UK Order.
This can be achieved by amendments to the Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions Ordinance. Under the amendment Bill, payment of pensions, gratuities and allowances in respect of disablement and death of veterans due to service, are largely retained. The prevailing rates will be converted into Hong Kong dollar, and will form the basic rates. It is our intention to adjust these rates in future in accordance with local inflation and in line with the civil service pension increase.
The UK Order is formulated to cater for members of various UK forces. We propose to adopt provisions that are relevant and omit those that are no longer applicable to members of the two voluntary forces. The Bill however contains suitable saving provisions to ensure that existing beneficiaries will continue to draw pensions and allowances at levels no worse off than those prevailing under the Ordinance.
We have consulted the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services, the Social Welfare Advisory Committee and chairmen of relevant war associations. They are all in support of our proposals.
Mr President, I commend this Bill to Members.
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