XN000022-1981-01-16 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1981

+THE PURPOSE OF THIS FOLLOW-UP ACTION IS TO ENSURE THAT THE DISABLED PERSON REALISES THAT THE PLACEMENT OFFICER'S INTEREST IN HIM DOES NOT STOP AS SOON AS PLACEMENT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, THAT AN OPPORTUNITY IS GIVEN TO REMEDY ANY MINOR MATTERS WHICH MAY BE IMPEDING SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT, AND THAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED WHEREBY THE PLACEMENT SERVICE CAN BE EVALUATED, MR HENDERSON EXPLAINED.

THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT TO MARK THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL, TOWARDS THE END OF 1981, HOLD A SPECIAL CEREMONY AT WHICH EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE PROVIDED CONSIDERABLE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED PERSONS THROUGH THE SPS WILL BE PRESENTED WITH SOUVENIRS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR EFFORTS IN INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE COMMUNITY.

+THE SUCCESS OR OTHERWISE OF THIS EVENT WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON THE DEGREE OF THE RESPONSE BY EMPLOYERS IN HONG KONG TO THE VERY WORTHWHILE CAUSE OF PROVIDING DISABLED PERSONS WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH WHICH HAS BEEN SO TYPICAL OF HONG KONG.

LOOKING AHEAD, MR HENDERSON SAID HIS DEPARTMENT PLANNED TO SET UP ANOTHER OFFICE OF THE SPS IN KOWLOON LATER THIS YEAR.

IT ALSO PLANS TO EXTEND A SIMILAR PLACEMENT SERVICE TO THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, INCLUDING THOSE WHO WERE FORMERLY MENTALLY ILL OR MENTALLY RETARDED, IN ITS SECOND PHASE OF OPERATION AND IN ITS THIRD AND FINAL STAGE, TO OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS, GENERALLY KNOWN AS SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED, HE ADDED.

RETURN VISIT OF SPECIAL POLICE ADVISERS

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SIR JAMES CRANE, HER MAJESTY'S CHIEF INSPECTOR OF CONSTABULARY, WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG ON FEBRUARY 7 FOR A TWO-WEEK VISIT AT THE REQUEST OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HE WILL BE PRECEDED BY TWO STAFF OFFICERS, CHIEF SUPERINTENDENTS ALFRED WALLEN AND S. PLEECE, WHO WILL BE ARRIVING ON JANUARY 24.

THIS IS SIR JAMES'S THIRD VISIT TO HONG KONG AND CONTINUES THE FRUITFUL ASSOCIATION WHICH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE PAST TWO VISITS. HE FIRST CAME HERE IN EARLY 1978 TO ADVISE THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ON THE ORGANISATION AND OPERATION OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE. A WIDE RANGE OF RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DEVELOPED AND A SECOND VISIT, DURING WHICH PROGRESS WAS REVIEWED, TOOK PLACE IN APRIL AND MAY 1979.

DURING HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT SIR JAMES WILL AGAIN BE ASKED TO ADVISE ON VARIOUS MATTERS RELATING TO THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE AS WELL AS TO REVIEW ACTION TAKEN ON SOME OF HIS PAST RECOMMENDATIONS.

HIS TWO STAFF OFFICERS WILL PRECEDE HIM TO CARRY OUT SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL GROUNDWORK IN ADVANCE. CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT ALFRED WALLEN ACCOMPANIED SIR JAMES ON BOTH HIS 1978 AND 1979 VISITS.

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