XN000022-1978-03-30 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1978

+ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE MANY PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPERS, HE ADDED.

DR. HU WELCOMED THE PROPOSED INCREASED SPENDING ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER TO GIVE GREATER ASSISTANCE TO THE ELDERLY AND THE NEEDY.

HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE $535 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR SOCIAL WELFARE WOULD BE SPENT ON SUCH WELFARE SERVICES AS GROUP AND COMMUNITY WORK, FAMILY SERVICES, TRAINING AND COUNSELLING.

+VIEWED FROM THIS ANGLE, ARE WE REALLY DOING ENOUGH IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL WELFARE?+ HE ASKED. +WHY SHOULD WE HOLD BACK EXPENDITURE ON THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES SUCH AS SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTAL CARE, TRAINING OF THE DISABLED FOR EMPLOY- MENT COUNSELLING OF THOSE IN DISTRESS OR AT RISK AND CARE OF LONELY OLD PEOPLE?+

DR. HU SAID HE APPRECIATED THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S CONCERN ABOUT INCREASING EXPENDITURE ON SUBVENTIONS TO AGENCIES, AND HE AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO REVIEW THE MATTER.

HE ALSO ASKED WHETHER THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE COULD BE STRENGTHENED TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF THE AGENCIES AND THE IR CLIENTS WERE ADEQUATELY MET.

REFERRING TO PROPOSALS FOR ADOPTING UNIT COSTING AND STANDARD SETTING OF THE WELFARE SERVICES, DR. HU STRESSED THAT SUCH STANDARDS SHOULD BE SET AT A REALISTIC LEVEL TC ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES PROVIDED WERE ADEQUATE.

IT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT. HE ADDED. TO ESTABLISH PARITY OF PAY BETWEEN SOCIAL WORKERS OF SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING IN THE PUBLIC AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR.

ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY, DR. HU SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PLAY

A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN DEVELOPING HONG KONG AS A TOUR IST AND FINANCIAL CENTRE.

+FOR ONE THING, THERE IS STILL MUCH MORE ROOM FOR EXPANSION OF OUR TOURIST AND FINANCIAL INDUSTRIES AND IN THIS RESPECT MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE OUR PORT, BANKING, INSURANCE AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES.+

DR. HU POINTED OUT THAT +TERTIARY OR SERVICE INDUSTRIES+ HAVE GROWN IN RELATIVE IMPORTANCE WHILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES HAVE DECLINED.

HE SAID THIS TREND WAS BORNE OUT EY THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ACCOUNTED FOR 30 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT IN 1971 BUT ONLY 26 PER CENT IN 1977.

/+IN COMPARISON,