XN000022-1983-07-22 — Page 4

FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1983

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PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY WORK

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL BODIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC.

+THERE HAS BEEN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE, BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INTERESTS IN ENSURING THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS HAS MANIFESTED ITSELF IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF ALL KINDS AND IN THE FIELDS OF CARE FOR THE SICK AND EDUCATION, AND THIS PROCESS HAS NEVER STOPPED, HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE AGENCY FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE, MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE COMMON AIM WAS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY UN WHICH THERE WAS MUTUAL CONCERN AND CARING.

+THIS COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS FOSTERED THROUGH A VAST COMPLEXITY OF COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS OF OWNERS AND TENANTS, AREA COMMITTEES, KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS AND LOCAL ARTS AND SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

+THE EXISTENCE OF THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES POINTS TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A FRAMEWORK ON WHICH A MORE COHESIVE COMMUNITY CAN BE BUILT, HE SAID.

IN HIS SPEECH, MR AKERS-JONES GAVE EXAMPLES OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS OVER THE YEARS.

IN 1953, THERE WERE 32 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS COMPARED WITH OVER 300 SCHOOLS RECEIVING GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. THERE WERE SEVEN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS PROVIDING 1 800 BEDS COMPARED WITH FIVE SUBVENTED HOSPITALS PROVIDING 1 600 BEDS.

IN 1963, THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS WAS IN THE RATIO OF 115, SLIGHTLY OVER 100 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS COMPARED WITH OVER 500 GRANT AND SUBSIDISED SCHOOLS. ON THE MEDICAL SIDE, GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS TOGETHER PROVIDED ALMOST 10 000 BEDS, WITH EACH PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT HALF THE PROVISION.

IN 1973, THERE WERE 136 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND 741 GRANT AND SUBSIDISED SCHOOLS. MEDICAL SERVICES CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN BOTH GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, NOW PROVIDING 6 500 AND 7 600 BEDS RESPECTIVELY.

IN 1983, ON THE EDUCATION SIDE, THERE HAS BEEN AN EVEN GREATER INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN THE AIDED SECTOR. THE NUMBER HAS GROWN FROM 741 TEN YEARS AGO TO 917 NOW. HOSPITAL BED NUMBERS INCREASED TO 10 300 IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND 9 222 IN SUBVENTED HOSPITALS.

+1 DO NOT NEED TO MENTION THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ON THE WELFARE SIDE, WHICH THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN THE PROVISION OF FAMILY WELFARE SERVICES, CHILD CARE, CARE FOR THE ELDERLY, COUNSELLING OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND REHABILITATION SERVICES, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

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