WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1977
PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS INCORPORATED IN WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION SERVICES
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THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. ERIC HO SAID THE WHITE PAPER ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED HAD INCORPORATED MOST OF THE POINTS RAISED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE ON THE SUBJECT LAST FEBRUARY.
MR. HO TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT ACCOUNT HAD ALSO BEEN TAKEN OF A NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC AND INTERESTED ORGANISATIONS ON THE GREEN PAPER FROM WHICH THE WHITE PAPER HAD BEEN DEVELOPED.
HE SAID, +IN ADDITION TO CONSULTATIONS WITH IN THE GOVERNMENT ON THESE VARIOUS PROPOSALS, WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES, THE UMELCO AD HOC GROUP ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES IN DRAFTING OF THIS WHITE PAPER.+
ON THE PROPOSALS TO SPEED UP THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME, MR. HO SAID, THE DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES AND I CAN ASSURE THE COUNCIL THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS REFLECTED IN THIS WHITE PAPER OVER THE ORIGINAL TIME TABLE IN THE GREEN PAPER ARE THE LIMITS WE CAN CONFIDENTLY HOPE TO ACHIEVE BY 1985-86.+
+MY COLLEAGUES AND I, LIKE THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WHO SPOKE IN THE FEBRUARY DEBATE, WILL ALSO PREFER TO SEE FASTER PROGRESS, BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO GET ROUND THE FACT THAT THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT HAS TO BE ADJUSTED TO HUMAN RESOURCES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF SITES AS WELL AS SPONSORS.+
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT THE WHITE PAPER DID PROVIDE FOR SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS AND CITED THE FOLLOWING AS EXAMPLES:
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL INTRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE OBSERVATION SCHEME IN 1978/79 FOR CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO THE AGE OF FIVE. FOR THOSE OVER THE AGE OF FIVE, SCREENING PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN SCHOOLS=
A NEW CODE OF AID FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS ISSUED LAST MONTH AND THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACES FOR THE DISABLED WILL INCREASE FROM 12,165 IN APRIL THIS YEAR TO 50,800 BY 1985/86-
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THREE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WILL MAKE AVAILABLE 186 PLACES IN DAY CENTRES FOR THE SEVERELY MENTALLY RETARDED BEFORE THE END OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR BEYOND WHAT IS PROVIDED FOR IN THE PROGRAMME PLAN. IF THIS EXPERIMENT IS SUCCESSFUL IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL PLACES AT DAY CENTRES TO BE PROVIDED QUICKLY TO MEET THE SHORTFALL FOR PLANNED RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR ALL THOSE KNOWN CASES CURRENTLY AWAITING INTENSIVE CARE- AND
/* THE SHORTFALL
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