XN000022-1979-06-08 — Page 3

N

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1979

IN THIS WAY, SHE SAID, DIRECT SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES WILL TRULY COME OF AGE.

REFERRING TO CRITICISM THAT A NEGATIVE APPROACH WAS ADOPTED IN THE PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK AMONG YOUTH (PSWAY) PROGRAMME, MRS. CHAN CHALLENGED THE VALIDITY OF THIS STATEMENT.

SHE POINTED OUT THAT EVIDENCE OF GOVERNMENT'S POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARDS DEVELOPING THE POTENTIALS OF YOUTH WAS EVERYWHERE TO BE SEEN IN THE MANY PROGRAMMES IT PROVIDED FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, OF WHOM YOUNG PEOPLE WERE A VERY SIGNIFICANT GROUP.

+TO MENTION JUST A FEW, OUR PROGRAMMES ON EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, LEISURE AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ARE ALL DESIGNED TO EQUIP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE NECESSARY HEALTH, SKILLS AND ATTITUDE TO BECOME ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, SHE SAID.

SHE RECALLED THE PSWAY PROGRAMME WAS CONCEIVED AT A TIME OF PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT SCHOOL DROPOUTS AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND SAID THAT WHILE THE PROGRAMME MIGHT BE PREVENTIVE OR REMEDIAL IN NATURE, IT WAS, IN ITS OWN WAY, A POSITIVE EFFORT TO GRAPPLE WITH A PARTICULAR SOCIAL PROBLEM.

+THIS PROGRAMME MAY HAVE PALED IN SIGNIFICANCE WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, AND PERHAPS AT A SUITABLE TIME WE SHOULD CONSIDER DROPPING THE DISTINCTIVE LABEL AND REAMALGAMATING THE SERVICES WITHIN THE FAMILY SERVICE UMBRELLA,+ SHE ADDED.

ON SOCIAL SECURITY, MRS. CHAN SAID HONG KONG HAD BEEN WELL SERVED BY THE TRADITIONAL VIRTUES OF SELF-RELIANCE, HARD WORK AND REALISM OF ITS PEOPLE, AND THESE QUALITIES WOULD BE PRESERVED BY A SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM THAT CONCENTRATED HELP ON THE MOST DESERVING SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY THE POOR, THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED.

SO FAR, SHE SAID, HONG KONG'S SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES HAVE BEEN FUNDED ENTIRELY FROM GENERAL REVENUE ON A NON-CONTR Í BUTORY BASIS.

SHE SAID THAT WHILE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME LAST MONTH HAD MEANT THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, A SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME WAS BEING FUNDED IN PART BY A SPECIFIC SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY, THE SCOPE FOR DOING THIS IN OTHER AREAS WAS HOWEVER LIMITED.

*FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SEE ANY FORM OF CONTRIBUTORY SCHEME, WHETHER ON A COMPULSORY OR VOLUNTARY BAS IS, PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN THE OVERALL SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM,+ SHE ADDED.

ON PRESSURE OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES GENERATED BY THE RECENT INFLUX OF REFUGEES, MRS. CHAN SAID THERE WOULD BE NO IMMEDIATE IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BECAUSE OF THE RESIDENCE QUALIFICATION.

/+THE EFFECT