XN000022-1980-02-27 — Page 23

21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1980

THE INCREASED DRAFT ESTIMATE (FROM $453 MILLION IN 1979-80) WAS DUE, AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, PRINCIPALLY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S 75 PER CENT SHARE OF THE COST OF THE GARRISON UNDER THE DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT, AND THE FULL COSTS OF CERTAIN MAJOR REPROVISIONING WORK AGREED IN SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAMMES.

+NEW LIABILITIES REFLECTED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES INCLUDE A 75 PER CENT SHARE (APPROVED COMMITMENT AT $270 MILLION AND PROVISION IN DRAFT ESTIMATES AT $38 MILLION) OF THE COST OF FIVE REPLACEMENT PATROL CRAFT FOR THE ROYAL NAVY, AND AN ESTIMATED PAYMENT OF $180 MILLION AS THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTRIBUTION, ASSESSED PARTLY AT 75 PER CENT AND PARTLY AT 100 PER CENT, TOWARDS THE COST OF REINFORCEMENTS TO ASSIST THE RESIDENT GARRISON AND THE POLICE IN MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, SIR PHILIP SAID.

HE SAID THAT THE REPROVISIONING OF LYEMUN BARRACKS, SHAM SHUI PO CAMP, BOWRING CAMP AND OTHER SITES TO BE RELEASED COMMENCED IN 1979, AND $132.7 MILLION WAS PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR THIS PURPOSE,

SIR PHILIP ALSO SAID IT WAS NECESSARY IN 1979-80 TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL FIXED WING TWIN-ENGINED AIRCRAFT FOR THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE AT $3.1 MILLION, AND TO ORDER THREE NEW TWIN-ENGINED HELICOPTERS FOR DELIVERY IN 1980-81, AT $22.8 MILLION, TO REPLACE THE THREE SINGLE-ENGINED HELICOPTERS, ONE OF WHICH CRASHED DURING THE YEAR.

HE ADDED THAT A FURTHER MAJOR ITEM OF DEFENCE EXPENDITURE MADE NECESSARY IN 1979-80 WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BORDER FENCE FROM SHA_TAU KOK TO LO WU, FOR WHICH $30 MILLION WAS PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES.

$792M FOR SOCIAL WELFARE

*****

PROPOSED SPENDING ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR AT $792 MILLION REPRESENTS A TWENTYFOLD INCREASE DURING THE PAST DECADE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON- CAVE NOTED IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH TODAY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT TWO FURTHER SOCIAL SECURITY PROPOSALS ARISING FROM THE WHITE PAPER +SOCIAL WELFARE INTO THE 1980S+ WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FROM APRIL 1 THIS YEAR: A DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT, UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, FOR THE PARTIALLY DISABLED, AND EXTENSION OF THE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE SCHEME TO THE PROFOUNDLY DEAF,

IN 1980-81, THESE PROPOSALS WILL BENEFIT AN ESTIMATED 1 000 PARTIALLY DISABLED PEOPLE AND 3 800 PROFOUNDLY DEAF PEOPLE, AND WILL REQUIRE AN ESTIMATED $8.9 MILLION,

EXPENDITURE ON ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL SECURITY DURING THE SAME YEAR IS EXPECTED TO BE $476 MILLION. SOME $211.3 MILLION WILL BE SPENT ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, $195.2 MILLION ON OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND $69.1 MILLION ON DISABILITY ALLOWANCE.

/STR PHILIP

·