XN000022-1984-10-26 — Page 10

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1984

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MORE HOUSING PLANNED FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE

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THE GOVERNMENT WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO EXPANDING ACCOMMODATION FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE TO MEET AN INCREASING DEMAND, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

AN ADDITIONAL 854 SUBSIDISED RESIDENTIAL PLACES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WERE BEING PLANNED FOR THIS FINANCIAL YEAR. THIS WAS A 13 PER CENT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR'S 6 700 PLACES, HE SAID.

+MORE PROJECTS ARE IN THE PIPELINE AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE GAP BETWEEN DEMAND AND SUPPLY CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS,+ MR CHAMBERS SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE RE-NAMING CEREMONY OF THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS' TAI YUEN HOSTEL FOR THE ELDERLY IN TAI PO, HE SAID THIS AREA OF SERVICE INCLUDED SHELTERED HOUSING, HOSTELS, CARE-AND- ATTENTION HOMES AND INFIRMARIES.

BUT TO MEET THESE NEEDS, THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS ALONE WERE NOT SUFFICIENT, SINCE IT RELIED TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT ON THE CO-OPERATION OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.

THE HOSTEL, WHICH STARTED OPERATION LAST DECEMBER, WAS RENAMED AFTER MADAM HUT LAI-KUEN, WHO HAD DONATED $500 000 TO THE TUNG MAH DEVELOPMENT FUND.

IT PROVIDES RESIDENTIAL AND MEAL SERVICE FOR 109 ELDERLY PEOPLE.

OVER $757 000 HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND TO MEET THE CAPITAL COST, AND GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION TOTALLING MOKE THAN $524 000 HAD BEEN GRANTED TO COVER THE CURRENT YEAR'S EXPENDITURE.

MR CHAMBERS THANKED MADAM HUI FOR HER DONATION, AND THE TUNG WAH GROUP FOR ITS CONTINUING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE WELFARE SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

NEED FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK SAFETY STRESSED

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THERE WERE 14 CASES OF FATAL ACCIDENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH THE 28 FATALITIES FOR THE SIMILAR PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THIS WAS SAID TODAY BY MR TAM YIU-CHUNG, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS, AT THE OPENING OF THE HALF-DAY SEMINAR FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

/IT WAS

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