XN000022-1982-07-30 — Page 8

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1982

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HOWEVER, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT MUST ALWAYS BE RESPONSIVE TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, SHE SAID. SHE ASSURED AGENCIES THAT WERE EXPERIENCING GENUINE DIFFICULTIES IN MAINTAINING THEIR CATEGORY I SERVICES THAT THE IR APPLICATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS WOULD BE +SYMPATHETICALLY CONSIDERED.+

MRS CHAN SAID HOWEVER THAT MONEY WAS NOT ALWAYS THE REASON BEHIND AN AGENCY WITHDRAWING OR CURTAILING A PARTICULAR SERVICE,

+THESE REASONS ARE OFTEN VERY VALID ONES AND I HOPE AGENCIES WILL NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO HIDE BEHIND THE NEW SUBVENTION SYSTEM, SHE ADDED.

MRS CHAN SAID THAT THE FINANCING OF CATEGORY II SERVICES MUST BE SEEN IN ITS PROPER PERSPECTIVE. MORE THAN 80 PER CENT OF ALL SUBVENTED SERVICES ARE IN FACT ATTRACTING 100 PER CENT GOVERNMENT SUPPORT.

FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE FOR CATEGORY | SERVICES IN 1982/83 EXCEEDS LAST YEAR'S PROVISION BY 43 PER CENT OR $14 MILLION. OVERALL THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE SPENDING $289 MILLION ON SUBVENTING SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES AS AGAINST $192 MILLION LAST YEAR AN INCREASE OF OVER 50 PER CENT.

+THERE IS THEREFORE AN INCREASING COMMITMENT IN THIS FIELD, WHICH I AM SURE WILL CONTINUE, MRS CHAN SAID.

SPEAKING ON COMMUNITY NEEDS, MRS CHAN SAID THAT IDENTIFYING THESE NEEDS WAS COMPARATIVELY EASY BUT THAT IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO AGREE ON SOLUTIONS AND ON THE ORDER OF IMPLEMENTATION.

+AS SOCIETY PROGRESSES AND THE ECONOMY EXPANDS, THERE IS A NATURAL TENDENCY TO WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE, SHE SAID. +THIS IS ENTIRELY RIGHT UP TO A POINT.+

BUT SHE ALSO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A CARING COMMUNITY IN HELPING TO IDENTIFY AND TACKLE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

REFERRING TO THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG, MRS CHAN SAID THAT THE TERRITORY HAD PROSPERED +BECAUSE FREE ENTERPRISE THRIVES AND BECAUSE IN TIMES OF HARDSHIP, PEOPLE HAVE RALLIED ROUND TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, TO SHARE SCARCE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND TO RELY ON THE HELP OF FAMILIES AND RELATIVES TO SEE THEM THROUGH A DIFFICULT PERIOD.+

*WE WOULD DO WELL TO MAINTAIN AND NURTURE THIS SPIRIT OF SELF-RELIANCE, SHE ADVISED.

IN ITS SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES, WHETHER IN TERMS OF CASH OR DIRECT SERVICES, THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY HAD BEEN AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE LEAST ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES, + SHE SAID.

TURNING TO THE SUBJECT OF VOLUNTEERS, MRS CHAN SAID IT WAS +TOO MUCH OF A GENERALISATION+ TO LABEL HONG KONG AS AN UNCARING, MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY.

/SHE ASSERTED