XN000022-1981-04-08 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1981

HE SAID THE MERGER OF THE TWO RANKS OF EDUCATION OFFICER AND SENIOR MASTER RANKS DID NOT MEAN THAT THERE SHOULD NO LONGER BE VICE-PRINCIPALS IT SIMPLY MEANT THAT THE PERSON SELECTED BY A SCHOOL MANAGEMENT (AND THIS INCLUDED THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION IN CASE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS) TO PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS OF THE VICE-PRINCIPAL WAS REMUNERATED UNDER THE MERGED EDUCATION OFFICER/ SENIOR MASTER SCALE.

ON THE QUESTION OF A RELAXATION OF ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, RAISED BY THE HON WONG LAM AND DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI, HE SAID THAT SINCE APRIL 1980, A DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT HAD BEEN PAYABLE TO RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

WHO WERE PARTIALLY DISABLED WITH 50 PER CENT OR MORE LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY OR A BROADLY COMPARABLE DISABLEMENT AND WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE EXTRA DIFFICULTIES AND NEEDS ARISING FROM SUCH DISABILITY.

DEALING WITH VOCATIONAL TRAINING, MR HO SAID THAT SPECIAL STUDIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND OF NEW VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES TO LINK UP WITH THE NEEDS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WERE BEING CARRIED OUT BY EXPERTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY WOULD BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

ON VOCATIONAL PLACES, HE SAID THE PLAN PROVIDES FOR THE EXPANSION OF PLACES FROM THE PRESENT 714 TO 1 600 BY 1984-5 FITH PROVISION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED THERE IN RISING FROM 528 TO 900 PLACES.

WITH REGARD TO RESIDENTIAL PLACES FOR THE AGED, HE SAID THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD SEE A RAPID GROWTH IN THIS SERVICE.

BY 1984-85 IT WAS PLANNED TO PROVIDE OVER 2 000 ADDITIONAL PLACES IN HOSTELS AND HOMES FOR OLD PEOPLE IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. A FURTHER 875 PLACES WOULD BE PROVIDED IN PURPOSE-BUILT HOMES OUTSIDE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. SIXTEEN HOMES WITH CARE AND ATTENTION FACILITIES PLANNED TO OPEN DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD HAVE COMBINED FACILITIES.

+ALTOGETHER AN ADDITIONAL 2 135 CARE AND ATTENTION PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED BY 1983-84 WHICH SHOULD THEN MEET THE PRESENT PLANNING TARGET OF 4 PLACES PER 1 000 POPULATION OVER THE AGE OF 60.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN HIGH STANDARDS IN PROBATION AND OTHER SERVICES FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS, AND SUBJECT TO SUFFICIENT STAFF BEING AVAILABLE, THE AIM IS TO REDUCE THE CASELOADS OF PROBATION OFFICERS - ESPÉCIALLY THOSE DEALING WITH HIGH COURT CASES.

IN THE RELATED AREA OF TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS, AN OVERSEAS ADVISER HAS RECENTLY REVIEWED ALL ASPECTS OF THE OPERATION AND ORGANISATION OF THE FIVE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

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