XN000022-1973-03-28 — Page 12

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Wednesday, March 28, 1973

This was so of the proposals for community development, which

include the establishment of the community and youth officer scheme, and

the provision of additional community centres facilities and children

and youth services.

Moreover, Mr. Li pointed out, the 1973-74 cost of the disability

and infirmity allowance scheme was assumed to be considerably less than

the cost in a full year, because it was unusual for everyone eligible under

a new scheme to apply at once, however extensive a publicity campaign

was conducted.

If the actual numbers of applicants proved to be higher than

expected it would be necessary to seek supplementary provision.

It may well be, therefore, that expenditure on social welfare

for 1973-74 may finish up by being higher than was now estimated.

Mr. Li said he shared Mr. Lobo's hope that some way could be

found of streamlining the present system of processing social welfare

subventions.

Possible changes in the system were being actively studied and

as soon as the preliminary examination of these changes had been completed

the proposals would be put before the Social Welfare Advisory Committee

for consideration.

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