XN000022-1977-10-05 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1977

GOVERNOR UNVEILS NEW DEAL FOR SOCIAL WELFARE

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A NEW COMPLETE PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS FOR EXPANDED SERVICES

TO THE HANDICAPPED, THE ELDERLY AND YOUTH, AND FOR INCREASED PAYMENTS IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY, DISABLED AND INFIRM WAS UNVEILED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.

THESE PROPOSALS, WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN A WHITE PAPER AND THREE GREEN PAPERS, WILL COST THE GOVERNMENT NEARLY $500 MILLION MORE AND REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL 3,700 TRAINED PERSONNEL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

IN 1977/78 FUNDS PROVIDED FOR ALL THE TYPES OF SERVICES COVERED BY THE WHITE PAPER AND GREEN PAPERS AMOUNTED TO $407 MILLION- THE NEW COMPLETE PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS ENVISAGE RECURRENT EXPENDITURE RISING TO $719 MILLION BY 1982/83 AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE OVER THE SAME PERIOD AMOUNTING TO $178 MILLION.

TOUCHING ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE HANDICAPPED, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT WEEK, SIR MURRAY SAID SOME OF THE WORK DONE FOR THE HANDICAPPED IN HONG KONG WAS SECOND TO NONE IN THE WORLD.

BUT THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED TO WIDEN ITS COVERAGE AS QUICKLY AS THE TRAINING OF PERSONNEL AND THE PROVISION OF BUILDINGS WOULD ALLOW, HE ADDED.

SIR MURRAY INDICATED IN BROAD TERMS THAT THE STAFF ENGAGED IN THE MANY DISCIPLINES OF REHABILITATION AND CARE OF THE HANDICAPPED WOULD BE MORE THAN DOUBLED, CAPITAL WORKS OF THE ORDER OF $86 MILLION WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN, AND RECURRENT EXPENDITURE SHOULD RISE FROM $122 MILLION IN 1977/78 TO $197 MILLION IN 1982/83.

+ I THINK THAT THE FIRST FIVE-YEAR COURSE WE HAVE SET OURSELVES IS REALISTIC AND SHOULD VASTLY CHANGE THE PRESENT SITUATION, HE SAID. +THE CROWDED LIFE OF HONG KONG IS HARD FOR THE HANDICAPPED, AND DR. HARRY FANG AND HIS

REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT

CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE AND THE VARIOUS HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES INVOLVED CAN COUNT ON THE STRONG SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT IN PUSHING THIS PROGRAMME FORWARD, SIR MURRAY ASSURED.

ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS, SIR MURRAY SAID PROPOSALS TO INCREASE PAYMENTS TO THOSE UNDER THE SCHEME WOULD BE MADE SHORTLY TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AS THE REAL VALUE OF PAYMENTS MAINTAINED BY REFERENCE TO A SPECIAL PRICE INDEX INDICATES THAT AN INCREASE WAS REQUIRED. HE ALSO REVEALED THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GREEN PAPER:

* A SUPPLEMENT FOR THOSE FORCED TO RELY ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

FOR OVER 18 MONTHS AMOUNTING TO $180 AT THE PRESENT RATE FOR A FAMILY OR $90 FOR A SINGLE PERSON-

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A SUPPLEMENT OF $90 AT THE PRESENT RATE TO PERSONS ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WHO ARE AGED 60 AND ABOVE, BUT NOT YET IN RECEIPT OF THE INFIRMITY ALLOWANCE- AND

THE ESTABLISHMENT

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