XN000022-1975-11-05 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1975

DROP IN NUMBE OF UNEMPLOYED FAMILIES

SEEKING 1U1 LIC ASSISTANCE

X X X X X

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM UNEMPLOYED FAMILIES SEEKING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAS +FALLEN QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS+ DESPITE AN INCREASE IN THE CASELOAD.

THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. LEE FOOK-KOW SAID TODAY THAT IN RECENT MONTHS THE CASELOAD HAS BEEN INCREASING AT THE RATE OF ABOUT 1,000 CASES MONTHLY. HALF OF THESE ARE SINGLE PEOPLE AND THE BALANCE COMPRISES FAMILIES AVERAGING FIVE MEMBERS.

+ ON THIS BASIS, A CASELOAD INCREASE OF 1,000 REPRESENTS ABOUT 3,000 ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE PEOPLE BEING ASSISTED EACH MONTH.

MR. LI STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF NEW APPLICATIONS COME FROM THE ELDERLY, THE SICK AND DISABLED AND WIDOWS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOW PAYING OUT ABOUT THREE- QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS A DAY IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND IN DISABILITY AND INFIRMITY ALLOWANCES.

IN 1973, IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT THE TWO SCHEMES WOULD COST ONLY ABOUT $80 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, BUT THE ACTUAL COST IS NOW LIKELY TO BE OVER THREE TIMES THIS FIGURE.

MR. LI EMPHASISED THAT THIS, IN PART, ANSWERS CRITICS WHO SAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT HELPING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORSE OFF FINANCIALLY AND THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED GREATEST DURING THE PRESENT RECESSION.

+DESPITE THE SLOWDOWN IN THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC REVENUE, THESE ASSISTANCE SCHEMES HAVE NOT SUFFERED AND I CONSIDER THAT THIS IS AN ACHIEVEMENT WORTH EMPHASIS ING, HE SAID.

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ON OTHER TOPICS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES SAID HE WOULL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE SOME TIME NEXT YEAR. IN THE MEAN TIME, THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND THE CODE OF PRACTICE IS ALMOST READY.

THE PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO +FLOURISH+. THIS, HE SAID, IS DEMONSTRATED IN THE COMBINED EFFORTS TO PRODUCE THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN AND IN THE SEVERAL JOINT WORKING PARTIES WHICH NOW EXIST TO EXAMINE A WHOLE SPECTRUM OF SOCIAL WELFARE NEEDS.

ON SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK, MR. LI SAID THAT THE PILOT PROJECT INAUGURATED BY THE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENTS IN FIVE SCHOOLS IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, WAS RECENTLY REVIEWED AND EXTENDED TO EMBRACE ON A REFERRAL BASIS 11 SCHOOLS.

THE EDUCATION .....