XN000022-1980-07-19 — Page 3

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 1980

IN ADDITION, A SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED ON AUGUST 4 AT ALL POST OFFICES WHEREBY FIRST DAY COVERS WILL BE ACCEPTED OVER THE COUNTER, IMPRESSED WITH THE NORMAL DATE STAMP AND HANDED BACK TO THE PERSON PRESENTING THEM. NO TIME TYPE WILL APPEAR IN THE POSTMARK.

FOR THIS SERVICE, ONLY ARTICLES BEARING AN INDICATION THAT THEY ARE +FIRST DAY COVERS+ WILL BE ACCEPTED. THE ARTICLES MUST ALSO BE ADDRESSED LOCALLY, NOT BEAR ANY OTHER CANCELLATION, AND NOT BE REGISTERED ITEMS.

SPECIAL POSTING BOXES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE THREE POST OFFICES ON THE SAME DAY (AUGUST 4) FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO HAVE COVERS CAREFULLY HAND-POSTMARKED BEFORE DESPATCH.

GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN MONITORING

SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT

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THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ANSON CHAN, TODAY STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE IT KEEPS PACE WITH CHANGING SOCIAL NEEDS.

MRS CHAN WAS SPEAKING ON THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN THIS MONITORING AT A DISCUSSION WORKSHOP OF THE 20TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL WELFARE AT THE CITY HALL.

SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE WELFARE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SHOULD THEREFORE OVERSEE THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.

WELFARE SERVICES IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID, HAD STEADILY IMPROVED IN THE PAST DECADE DURING WHICH GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE AMOUNTED TO $2 870 MILLION.

PROVISION FOR 1980-81 IS $750 MILLION COMPARED WITH $43 MILLION 10 YEARS AGO, SHE SAID.

AND THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SPEND IN THE PRESENT DECADE AN EXTRA $2 000 MILLION ON SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT, PLUS ANOTHER $1 760 MILLION ON REHABILITATION SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED UP TO THE MID-1980'S, SHE ADDED.

MRS CHAN POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE INCREASING MULTIPLICITY AND SOPHISTICATION OF WELFARE SERVICES, THE PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING FUNCTIONS MUST ASSUME GREATER IMPORTANCE.

SHE SAID MONITORING OF DEVELOPMENT WAS CARRIED OUT MAINLY AT THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS - THROUGH WHITE PAPERS, PROGRAMME PLANS AND THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN ON SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT.

/+THESE TEL