XN000022-1979-05-08 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1979

WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES STRIKES RIGHT BALANCE

*****

THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE. MR. THOMAS LEE SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES STRUCK THE BALANCE BETWEEN EXTREME VIEWS ON THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF BEACON HILL, MR. LEE POINTED OUT THAT IN PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, THERE WERE INEVITABLY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON HOW FAST THE PROGRAMME SHOULD PROCEED.

HE SAID SOME BELIEVED IN A MORE RADICAL PACE OF DEVELOPMENT ON ALL FRONTS REGARDLESS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS, WHILE OTHERS FELT PLANNING SHOULD TAKE A MUCH LESS RADICAL OR PERHAPS A MORE CAUTIOUS COURSE.

+BOTH REPRESENT TWO EXTREME VIEWS, AND THE WHITE PAPER, | BELIEVE, STRIKES THE BALANCE, HE SAID.

HE QUOTED NEWSPAPER COMMENTS WHICH QUITE RIGHTLY POINTED OUT THAT WHILE HONG KONG WAS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS IN THE WELFARE FIELD, IT HAS AVOIDED THE PITFALLS OF SOME WESTERN COMMUNITIES WHICH DISPENSED WELFARE WITH RECKLESS ABANDON REGARDLESS OF NEED.

MR. LEE EMPHASISED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES ENVISAGED IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE ANCHORED VERY FIRMLY TO THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF HONG KONG WITHIN ITS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AND THAT THEY REPRESENTED REALISTIC GOALS.

WHILE THE PAPER ITSELF MIGHT NOT APPEAR STARTLINGLY REVEALING, HE SAID, IT DID SET THE RIGHT COURSE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT TO BETTER MEET THE WELFARE NEEDS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

ANOTHER REASON. HE ADDED. WAS THAT A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPERS, FROM WHICH THE WHITE PAPER HAS DEVELOPED, HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE APRIL LAST YEAR SO THAT HELP COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE QUICKLY TO THOSE IN NEED.

MR. LEE SAID THAT SINCE THE WHITE PAPER WAS PUBLISHED A FORTNIGHT AGO, PUBLIC COMMENTS HAVE INDICATED A GENERAL WELCOME OF ITS PRINCIPLES AND PROGRAMMES, PARTICULARLY THE PLANS TO IMPROVE CASH BENEFITS FOR THE DISABLED AND SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.

ON SERVICES FOR YOUTH, HE AGREED THAT WHILE PERSONAL HELP AND GUIDANCE WILL BE EXPANDED FOR A MINORITY GROUP OF VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE, IT WAS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF NORMAL «YOÙNG PEOPLE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS ALREADY EXISTING GOVERNMENT POLICY AS THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF CULTURAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE URBAN COUNCIL AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.

+THERE ARE