XN000022-1983-04-13 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1983

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THE REPORT ATTRIBUTES THE INCREASES TO REPEATED PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES, RELAXATION OF THE SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT FROM

SEVEN TO THREE DAYS, AND EFFORTS BY SWD WORKERS TO ASSIST VICTIMS, OR THEIR DEPENDANTS, WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS.

OF THE 6 169 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, 497 INVOLVED DEATH, 4 824 SERIOUS INJURIES AND 848 SLIGHT INJURIES,

THE HIGHEST SINGLE PAYMENT OF $32 900 WAS AWARDED TO A WIDOW AND HER FOUR DEPENDENT CHILDREN AFTER THE FATHER DIED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN TUEN MUN ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

+THE WORST TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, OCCURRED WHEN TWO COACHES CARRYING FACTORY WORKERS COLLIDED ON AUGUST 19, 1981 ON TSING YI ROAD, KILLING TWO PERSONS AND INJURING 59 OTHERS,+ THE REPORT NOTES.

THIS LED TO 61 APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE, 23 OF WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE ELIGIBLE.

DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, THREE APPEALS WERE LODGED WITH THE SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD AGAINST DECISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT BUT ONLY TWO WERE HEARD. THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS IN THESE TWO CASES WERE UPHELD.

THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH ADVISES THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TAVA SCHEME AND THE FUND, HAD CONSIDERED A NUMBER OF

ISSUES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE SCHEME FURTHER.

THESE INCLUDED INCREASING THE PAYMENT RATES, REDUCING THE RATES OF LEVIES ON VEHICLES AND DRIVING LICENCES OR PERMITS, RELAXING THE SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT FROM SEVEN TO THREE DAYS EXTENDING THE SCHEME TO COVER TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON PRIVATE ROADS, AND A SEPARATE ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY AND KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY ACCIDENT VICTIMS.

THREE IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE DURING THE YEAR.

FIRST, THE RATES OF PAYMENTS WERE RAISED BY AN OVERALL 35.2 PER CENT AND THE BURIAL GRANT BY 87.5 PER CENT, FROM $1 600 TO $3 000, GIVING MORE SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS TO ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.

SECOND, THE ORIGINAL SEVEN-DAY SICK LEAVE QUALIFICATION WAS REDUCED TO THREE DAYS FOR INJURY CASES OCCURRING ON OR AFTER JANUARY 6, 1982 TO ENABLE MORE VICTIMS WITH MINOR INJURIES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE.

THIRD, AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE THE LEVIES ON VEHICLES TRADE LICENCES AND DRIVING LICENCES OR PERMITS BY 60 PER CENT WITH EFFECT FROM MAY 1, 1982 WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON JANUARY 6, 1982.

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