XN000022-1981-05-17 — Page 2

1

$31.3 MILLION PAID TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS

**

TOTAL DEATH AND INJURY GRANTS MADE UNDER THE +NO FAULT+ TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) SCHEME HAVE SURPASSED THE $30 MILLION MARK.

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS PAID OUT $31.3 MILLION AS QUICK CASH RELIEF TO 7 876 CASES SINCE THE SCHEME STARTED IN MAY 1979.

MR SIU KING-CHIU. HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S TAVA SECTION, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) ANOTHER $482 000 HAD BEEN AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT TO 172 CASES AND WAS NOW AWAITING COLLECTION AT THE DEPARTMENT.

MR SIU SAID GRANTS ALREADY MADE WERE PAID TO 713 CASES INVOLVING DEATH, AND TO 7 163 CASES INVOLVING INJURIES WHICH HAD CAUSED AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS' LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY.

PAYMENTS FOR DEATH GRANTS AMOUNTED TO NEARLY $5.5 MILLION, HE SAID, WHILE INJURY PAYMENTS TOTALLED $25.8 MILLION, OF WHICH $6.5 MILLION WERE FOR FURTHER PAYMENTS TO THOSE WHO SUBSEQUENTLY MEQUIRED EXTENDED SICK LEAVE.

MR SIU SAID THE HIGHEST PAYMENT SO FAR WAS $26 100 IN ONE FATAL CASE, WHILE OTHER PAYMENTS RANGED FROM $800 TO $25 040.

+AT PRESENT, 335 APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED AND THE APPLICANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS SHORTLY, HE SAID.

THE TAVA SCHEME IS NON-MEANS TESTED AND PROVIDES QUICK CASH RELIEF FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS REGARDLESS OF WHO WAS AT FAULT IN CAUSING THE ACCIDENT.

UNDER THE SCHEME, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS MUST HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE.

PEOPLE INVOLVED CAN APPLY WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE ACCIDENT AT THE DEPARTMENT'S TAVA SECTION ON THE 14TH FLOOR OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE AT 280 GLOUCESTER ROAD, HONG KONG (TEL. NOS. 5-779421 AND 5-7903650).

DAY OFF FOR ROYAL WEDDING

***

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MAY ENJOY A HOLIDAY ON JULY 29. ON THE OCCASION OF THE WEDDING OF PRINCE CHARLES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER.

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL SOON CONSIDER A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THAT DAY A GENERAL HOLIDAY, AND STUDY A BILL MAKING IT AN ADDITIONAL PAID STATUTORY HOLIDAY UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. THE BILL WILL ALLOW EMPLOYERS THE FLEXIBILITY OF GRANTING THE HOLIDAY ON ANOTHER DAY.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE EVENT. HONG KONG WILL MAKE A PRESENT OF A CARPET TO BE WOVEN BY A LOCAL FACTORY. A SET OF COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED.