XN000022-1986-06-03 — Page 10

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1986

ON

9

GRANT SOUGHT FOR BOARDING FACILITIES AT TRAINING COMPLEX

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THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS AT TOMORROW'S SITTING A PROPOSAL FOR A CAPITAL GRANT OF ABOUT $940 000 TO PROVIDE 108 BOARDING FACILITIES AT THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY + DICAPPED'S VOCATIONAL TRAINING COMPLEX IN TAI PO.

IN NOVEMBER 1983, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVED A CAPITAL GRANT OF ABOUT $9.9 MILLION TO THE ASSOCIATION TO CONSTRUCT AND FURNISH A VOCATIONAL TRAINING COMPLEX AT PINEHILL VILLAGE IN TAI PO: IN ORDER TO UPGRADE THE EXISTING CENTRE'S TRAINING FACILITIES AND TO EXPAND ITS CAPACITY FROM 60 TO 168 TRAINING PLACES.

WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE COMPLEX HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THE AGENCY HAS APPLIED TO EXPAND ITS BOARDING FACILITIES FROM THE EXISTING CAPACITY OF 60 TO 168 PLACES IN LINE WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE TRAINING CENTRE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID BOARDING FACILITIES WERE CONSIDEREI ESSENTIAL IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES FOR THE MENTALLY

HANDICAPPED.

HE NOTED THAT IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING BOARD AND LODGING FOR TRAINEES, THE BOARDING SECTION PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DEVELOPING AND NURTURING TRAINEES' INDEPENDENCE AND SOCIAL SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING.

+TRAINEES ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN SPECIALLY DESIGNED PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PERSONAL GROOMING AND HYGIENE MANNERS AND HABITS, HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL INTER-PER SORAL SKILLS AT WORK AND IN PUBLIC PLACES, HE SAID,

+TRAINING IN THESE SOCIALISATION SKILLS COMPLEMENTS THE VOCATIONAL SKILLS ACQUIRED AT THE CENTRE AND PROVIDES TRAINEES WIEN MORE CONFIDENCE TO INTEGRATE INTO THE ORDINARY WORKING ENVIRONMENT,

THE SPOKESMAN SAID SUITABLE PREMISES OF 1 002 SQUARE METRES AT THE NEARBY KWONG FUK ESTATE IN TAI PO HAD BEEN ALLOCATED TO THE. AGENCY TO ESTABLISH BOARDING FACILITIES FOR 84 TRAINEES.

IN ADDITION, TWO STONE COTTAGES AT THE PINEHILL VILLAGE WERE AVAILABLE FOR CONVERSION INTO A BOARDING SECTION FOR 24 TRAINEES.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSION SEEKING THE GRANT TO CONSTRUCT THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COMPLEX BECAUSE AT THAT TIME SUITABLE PREMISES FOR BOARDING FACILITIES HAD NOT BEEN LOCATED.

WHEN THE FITTING-OUT AND CONVERSION WORK IS COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR THE AGENCY WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL SUBVENTION OF ABOUT $1.4 MILLION TO MEET THE OPERATING COSTS OF THESE FACILITIES, HE ADDED.

/THE FDIANCE

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