XN000022-1979-04-12 — Page 19

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1979

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WORKING PARTY REVIEWING SUBVENTION POLICY

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THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT A WORKING PARTY

IN RECENT MONTHS, BEEN REVIEWING THE PROBLEMS OF GOVERNMENT'S SUBVENTION POLICY FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.

HAS

AND HE HOPED THAT THE PARTY'S RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD LEAD TO A STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE CURRENTLY SOMEWHAT HAPHAZARD AND I SUSPECT, WASTEFUL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

+

MR. HADDON-CAVE WAS REPLYING TO A COMMENT MADE BY DR. THE HON. HO KAM-FAI ON GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION FOR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.

HE SAID DR. HO HAD ABLY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEMS WHICH BESET THE GOVERNMENT IN TRYING TO RATIONALISE THE PROCEDURES BY WHICH DISCRETIONARY SUBVENTIONS WERE ALLOCATED TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES

IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL WELFARE.

MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THE APPLICATION OF UNIT RATE SUBVENTION TO DAY NURSERIES HAD BROUGHT TO LIGHT PROBLEMS WHICH MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD CONSIDER ITS EXTENSION, ON ANY SCALE, TO OTHER AREAS.

+CLEARLY IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DEVISE A SINGLE TYPE OF FINANCING ARRANGEMENT WHICH WILL BE SATISFACTORY IN RESPECT OF ALL THE VERY WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES PRESENTLY PROVIDED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, HE SAID.

MR. HADDON-CAVE ALSO AGREED WITH DR. HO THAT A DEFINITION OF PRIORITY AREAS SHOULD GO HAND IN HAND WITH ANY REVISION OF GOVERNMENT'S SUBVENTION POLICY,

+THIS WILL MEAN DEVISING FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE FLEXIBLE BOTH IN TERMS OF THE TYPE AND EXTENT OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY AND OF THE ROLE TO BE PLAYED BY FUNDS RAISED PRIVATELY BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES OR ALLOCATED TO THEM BY THE COMMUNITY CHEST, HE SAID.

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