XN000022-1977-11-23 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1977

NEED IN SETTING STANDARD FOR WELFARE SERVICES

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THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, THE HON. THOMAS LEE, THIS AFTERNOON SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEED IN THE FUTURE TO SET STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. KWAN KO STU-WAH IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. LEE SAID THE PRINCIPLES SUGGESTED BY MRS. KWAN WOULD BE VERY USEFUL GUIDELINES FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATIONS CONCERNED WHEN FORMULATING STANDARDS FOR AGENCIES.

HOWEVER, HE SAID THESE PRINCIPLES COULD NOT BE USED AS STANDARDS BECAUSE WHEN IT CAME TO ACTUALLY WRITING THEM DOWN, ONE WOULD NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, SO THAT INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES WOULD NOT BE LEFT TO INTERPRET WHAT WAS REGARDED AS REALISTIC CR TO WHAT EXTENT A CERTAIN STANDARD COULD BE FLEXIBLY APPLIED.

+ INDEED IN CONNECTION WITH OUR EARLY ATTEMPTS TOWARDS THE EVALUATION OF WELFARE SERVICES IT BECAME CLEAR THAT UNLESS WE HAD SETS OF STANDARDS WHICH COULD BE USED AS A MEASURE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE SERVICES EFFECTIVELY, HE SAID.

MR. LEE AGREED WITH MRS. KWAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD AVOID SETTING UNREALISTICALLY HIGH STANDARDS AT THE OUTSET BUT HE SAID THE STANDARDS LAID DOWN INITIALLY COULD BE AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND WHERE POSSIBLE IMPROVED.

THE ATTENTION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE TO THE PRINCIPLES SUGGESTED BY MRS. KWAN WOULD BE DRAWN.

SUBSIDY TO MAC'S RECOMMENDED

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THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON. JOHN WALDEN, SAID TODAY RECOMMENDATIONS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCURRED IN OPERATING THEIR OFFICES UP TO A LIMIT OF $300 A QUARTER.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM, MR. WALDEN SAID IF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ACCEPTED, HE WOULD BE READY TO CONSIDER RATES WITHIN THE $300 LIMIT AS A +REIMBURSABLE ITEM+ IN ANY CASE WHERE THE OFFICE OF A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE WAS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE COMMITTEE'S ACTIVITIES.

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