XN000022-1977-10-26 — Page 8

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TIMETABLES FOR SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT WELCOMED

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THE HON. MRS. KWAN KO STU-WAH SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S TIMETABLES FOR EACH SUBJECT IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE FIELD, PROVIDING FOR LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING.

ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSALS WHICH SHE MADE EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR A MODE OF PLANNING BY BLOCK GRANTS WERE NOT ACCEPTED, SHE WAS CERTAIN THE LONG TERM PLANNING NOW EMBARKED ON WOULD BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR THE ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND WELFARE.

SHE SUGGESTED SETTING SOCIAL WELFARE STANDARDS WHICH SHE SAID WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SET OUR TARGETS RIGHT AND MAKE MAXIMUM USE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND MANPOWER.

+THE MAIN PURPOSE OF STANDARD SETTING IS TO INDICATE THE LEVEL WHICH PUBLIC OR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES SHOULD STRIVE TO ATTAIN IN PROVIDING THEIR SERVICES,

+ IN OTHER WORDS, THE STANDARD IS MEANT TO BE INDICATIVE- IT SHOULD BE HIGH ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN OR RAISE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES, BUT SUFFICIENTLY LOW AT THE SAME TIME TO BE ACCEPTED BY SOCIETY AND BE WITHIN THE LIMIT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES,+ SHE SAID.

SHE PROPOSED THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES TO GOVERN THE STANDARDS:

FOR

* THE PRIMARY AIM OF STANDARD SETTING IS TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN SUCH A MANNER AND AT SUCH LEVELS THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL WELL-BEING OF THOSE RECEIVING THE SERVICES ARE PROTECTED. THUS, CHILD CARE CENTRES MUST BE ENSURED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CARE FOR THE CHILDREN. * STANDARD SETTING MUST BE REALISTIC SO THAT THE

LEVEL ASPIRED TO SHOULD REFLECT THE SOCIAL NORM AND REALITY IN TERMS OF PEOPLE'S WAY OF LIVING. EXAMPLE, SHE SAID, THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES OR OLD PEOPLE'S HOMES SHOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFERENT FROM THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. FURTHERMORE, IN SETTING STANDARDS, THE NEED FOR THE SERVICE MUST BE CONSIDERED. WE SHOULD THUS BE REALISTIC AS WE SET THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD CARE CENTRES AND PROGRAMMES FOR THE ELDERLY AND OTHER SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT QUANTITY AND QUALITY ARE KEPT IN BALANCE, SHE SAID. SHE WAS SURE THAT NONE OF US WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME CHILDREN FORCED OUT OF THE CLOSED PRIVATE NURSERIES AND BE PUT IN EVEN WORSE SITUATIONS, IN THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT, THE QUALITY OF SERVICES SHOULD BE RAPIDLY IMPROVED, SHE ADDED.

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