XN000022-1976-04-07 — Page 27

Wednesday, April 7, 1976

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He agreed with the Hon. Miss Ko Siu-wah that evaluations were

necessary to develop sound and better social welfare services and to measure

the extent to which expenditure of resources upon a particular programme was

justified by its results.

However, he stressed that there was no intention to use evaluation

as a means of reducing subventions and curtailing essential services in the

voluntary sector.

"Indeed it may well be that a proper evaluation will throw up the

need for increased subventions in certain spheres perhaps at the expense of

others," he said.

Turning to social security payments, Mr. Li said the case-load of

infirmity and disability allowances in February 1976 was 65,000.

"This case-load now seems to have stabilised and will increase only

marginally in the future," he said.

He estimated that the public assistance case-load would rise to

about 72,000 in about two years' time and thereafter increase in line with

the population trend.

The increased estimate, he said, was partly due to the breakdown

of traditional reluctance to claim welfare assistance and to raised rates.

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