XN000022-1975-09-03 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1975

+THIS DIRECT REPRESENTATION OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR ON A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE UNDERLINED THE GOVERNMENT'S SPECIFIC RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE TO BE PLAYED BY VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES,+ MR. LEE STRESSED.

+THE PLANNING PROCESS WAS A STRICTLY PRAGMATICAL EXERCISE- IT AIMED AT SETTING TARGETS WHICH WERE BOTH REALISTIC AND CAPABLE OF IMPLEMENTATION -- – REALISTIC IN RELATION TO THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND CAPABLE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN TERMS OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE, HE CONTINUED.

THE PUBLIC, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND INTERESTED ORGANISATIONS WERE ALSO GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE NEW WHITE PAPER AND FIVE-YEAR PLAN WHICH MR. LEE SAID +PROMPTED A LIVELY INTEREST AND ENSURED GENERAL PUBLIC CONSENT.+

MR. LEE SAID THIS COMMUNITY CONSULTATION CONCEPT OF PLANNING PROVIDED A MOST USEFUL SECOND OPINION ABOUT SOCIAL WELFARE NEEDS AND MADE AVAILABLE A RICH, NEW SOURCE OR KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE.

IN THE ULTIMATE, HE SAID, WHAT WAS PRODUCED WAS A PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT WHICH EMBODIED THE VIEWS OF ALL ACTIVE IN SOCIAL WELFARE AND ONE WHICH WAS BEING ACTIVELY IMPLEMENTED.

THERE WERE ALSO OTHER CHANGES, MR. LEE NOTED. THE ACCEPTANCE BY GOVERNMENT OF JOINT PLANNING MEANT THAT IT RELINQUISHED ITS POSITION SOLELY TO DETERMINE THE BASIS OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, A RESPONSIBILITY WHICH, IN THIS CONNECTION, HAD TO BE SHARED.

THE_VOLUNTARY SECTOR, HE WENT ON, ALSO RECOGNISED THAT ITS FREEDOM TO MANOEUVRE WITH GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT WAS RESTRICTED TO WITHIN THE LIMITS OF AN APPROVED PROGRAMME AND THAT IT COULD NO LONGER EMBARK FREELY UPON PROJECTS OUTSIDE THE PLAN AND EXPECT GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

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+HOWEVER,✦ MR. LEE SAID, +EXPERIENCE GAINED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE PLAN HAS SHOWN THAT THESE LIMITS HAVE NOT PROVED TO BE A HINDRANCE TO PROGRESS. ON THE CONTRARY. THEY HAVE BROUGHT GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR CLOSER TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP.+

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