XN000022-1973-01-15 — Page 3

Monday, January 15, 1973

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The intention of the Government to extend its provision of social

security was well received, and one comment was that this showed the people

that their taxes were being spent "in a good and wise way.

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Mr. Li said the role of volunteers in the provision of social welfare

services had received considerable comment. Many correspondents felt the

use of volunteers should be enlarged to include working youths, students,

the retired in fact that volunteers should come from all areas of society.

The concept of the volunteer as a contributing member of the community

was stressed in a number of letters. It was suggested that there was "a

need to re-examine the uses to which volunteers are put." The volunteers

ought to be grouped more closely according to their interests and skills,

and they should "serve where possible in the districts where they live."

Volunteer Service

Training of volunteers also generated much comment, and training

centres were proposed. Areas recommended for the expansion of volunteer

service included work camps, hospitals, prison visiting, visiting and assisting

the disabled and the elderly, and youth organisations.

Mr. Li said most correspondents had approved the proposals on the

expansion of community services. Some had given them priority because of the

impact they would make on keeping social order within the community.

More open spaces and sports facilities were urged, and some critics

insisted that activities in centres must be carefully planned and researched

because "it would be useless to have good buildings without conducting good

programmes within them.

Other comments received mured the field of family welfare services,

financing, training, research, statistics, and evaluation.

The Social Welfare Planning Committee met recently to consider these

comments, and to decide how they should best be reflected in the white paper.

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