XN000022-1984-02-29 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1934

GOVERNMENT TO SPEND MORE ON MEDICAL AND

SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

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THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS TO SPEND $3.55 BILLION ON PUBLIC AND SUBVENTED MEDICAL SERVICES IN FISCAL 1984-85, AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 16 PER CENT ON THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF THE 1983-84 EXPENDITURE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE, SAID TODAY.

AND, CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES WILL BE ABOUT $2.4 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 19 PER CENT ON THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF THE 1983-84 EXPENDITURE.

THE $645 MILLION PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL WITH 1 488 BEDS WILL START OPERATIONS IN MAY THIS YEAR, SERVING AS THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR THE EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES AND AS THE TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR THE MEDICAL FACULTY OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, SIR JOHN REPORTED.

WORK WILL CONTINUE ON THE TUEN MUN HOSPITAL AND THE QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL EXTENSION, AND SITE FORMATION WORK WILL START FOR A NEW HOSPITAL IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF HONG KONG

ISLAND.

IN THE SUBVENTED SECTOR, SIR JOHN SAID, DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES ARE UNDER WAY IN FIVE HOSPITALS TO EXPAND AND UPGRADE THE IR FACILITIES.

THE SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES INCLUDE SOCIAL SECURITY, SERVICES FOR OFFENDERS, FAMILY WELFARE, SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, COMMUNITY BUILDINGS, PERSONAL SOCIAL WORK AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND REHABILITATION AS WELL AS SUBVENTIONS TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

SIR JOHN POINTED OUT THAT THE BASIC RATES FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES WERE INCREASED BY 13.3 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.

THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RATE FOR A SINGLE PERSON IS NOW $510 A MONTH, WITH THE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE BEING PAID AT THE SAME RATE, AND THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AT HALF THIS RATE.

PROVISION OF $540 MILLION IS INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF $497.4 MILLION FOR 1983-84, SIR JOHN SAID.

THERE WERE 54 700 HOUSEHOLDS ON THIS ASSISTANCE SCHEME AT THE END OF 1983.

FOR SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES, $845.5 MILLION IS PROVIDED IN THE BUDGET ESTIMATES, COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF $713.8 MILLION FOR 1983-84.

THIS ALLOWS FOR AN ESTIMATED MONTHLY CASELOAD OF ABOUT 204 000 FOR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND 41 000 FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, COMPARED WITH 195 000 AND 39 000 RESPECTIVELY AT THE END OF 1983.

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