CO129-591-8 Policy directives 10-3-1944 - 17-8-1944 — Page 35

SECRET

HONG KONG

CIVIL AFFAIRS POLICY DIRECTIVES

10/8

54132

.35

First Draft

16/5/44

SOCIAL WELFARE

I. Social Welfare

A central Social Welfare Advisory Committee for the

purpose of stimulating and co-ordinating work in this field should

be established. The Committee should be presided over by a senior officer of the Administration and consist of representatives of all Departments concerned and such unofficial bodies or associations

concerned with social welfare as may be deemed desirable.

2. District Committees similarly constituted should be

organised for local areas.

3.

Government should appoint a Social Welfare Officer and

the Welfare Staff should be under his direction.

4. Scope of the Social Welfare Organisation

The efforts of the Committee and the Social Welfare

Officer should be directed towards improving the general well-

being of the community in its widest sense. To this end, the

various Government services which are directly concerned with the social welfare of the people (in particular, the Secretariat for

Chinese Affairs, the Urban Council, the Port Authority, and the Medical and Education Departments) should be conceived as part of

a co-operative effort in which all bodies and organisations, both

official and unofficial, which are competent to do so, should play

their part. Programmes of departmental activities should form an

integral part of a general plan for social welfare, based on the

ascertained needs of the community and so constructed as to give

proper weight to the requirements of both urban and rural areas.

Programmes should be sanctioned only when these conditions are

fulfilled and it is clear that the Departments and interests

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concerned have been fully consulted and that full co-operation is

assured.