XN000022-1977-10-26 — Page 9

co

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1977

*

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE CONCERNS THE PACE AT WHICH OUR PROGRAMME SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF STANDARD SETTING IS INDICATIVE, WITH THE COROLLARY THAT WE SHOULD BE FLEXIBILE IN OUR APPROACH TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THE AGREED STANDARDS. SHE SAID OUR EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING THE REGULATIONS REGARDING CHILD CARE CENTRES SUGGESTS THAT STANDARDS SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN AS FINAL RATHER THEY SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO AMENDMENTS AS CONDITIONS CHANGE. HENCE,+ SHE ADDED + IN THE DEBATE ON THE CHILD CARE CENTRES BILL,

I STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWING THE REGULATIONS IF CIRCUMSTANCES PROVED NECESSARY.

+TO ILLUSTRATE MY POINT, ALTHOUGH THE REGULATIONS OF THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE STATE THAT ONLY PERSONS WITH

RECOGNIZED TRAINING IN CHILD CARE PLUS FIVE YEARS' RELEVANT EXPERIENCE ARE QUALIFIED TO BE EMPLOYED AS SUPERVISORS OF CHILD CARE CENTRES, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT SUCH PERSONS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO ALLOW THE EMPLOYMENT OF THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED APPROPRIATE TRAINING AS +PROVISIONAL SUPERVISORS+ SO THAT CHILD CARE CENTRES CAN BE MAINTAINED IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS.+

SHE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO DISCLOSE THE COMPLETE LIST OF SOCIAL WELFARE WHITE AND GREEN PAPERS IT HAS IN PREPARATION SO THAT AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS MAY KNOW THE GOVERNMENT'S THINKING AND WILL NOT GET THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT GOVERNMENT'S THINKING AND PLANNING IN THE WHOLE FIELD IS MOVING IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION AND THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF WORK NOT YET SUBJECTED TO THE PLANNING PROCESS IS NO LONGER NEEDED. THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WOULD THEN MAKE THE BEST USE OF THEIR RESOURCES AND THEIR POTENTIAL TO START NEW SERVICES IN A PARTICULAR AREA.

ON THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME, FOR WHICH SHE HAD MADE SIMILAR SUGGESTIONS ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, SHE THOUGHT THAT THE WAITING PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS BEFORE GRANTING SUPPLEMENTS OR ALLOWANCES TO LONG-TERM PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS AND THOSE NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, BUT UNABLE TO WORK, IS TOO LONG. TWELVE MONTHS OR EVEN LESS WILL BE MORE REASONABLE.

SHE FURTHER ASKED THAT THE VARIOUS PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTS BE GIVEN WITHOUT UNNECESSARY DELAY AND THE LOWERING OF THE QUALIFYING AGE FOR THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE BE IMPLEMENTED AS SOON AS MANPOWER RESOURCES PERMIT.

SHE WANTED THE PROPOSED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE APPEALS BOARD TO HAVE WIDER REPRESENTATION AND NOT TO BE COMPOSED MAINLY OF GOVERNMENT SERVANTS.

IN ADDITION, SHE SUGGESTED THAT THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON THE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY WHICH HAD GROWN ENORMOUSLY.

/SHE FELT