XN000022-1986-07-09 — Page 60

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1986

IN THE LATTER CASE, IF IN SOCIAL OR FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES THE ABUSERS COULD TURN TO ONE OF A NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WHO COULD REFER THEM TO THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ABUSERS (SARDA) FOR COUNSELLING.

+WHERE A CRISIS SITUATION HAD NOT ARISEN, ANY OUT-REACH SOCIAL WORKER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH AN ABUSER OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME DEGREE OF COUNSELLING, + MR THOMAS ADDED.

O

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REVIEW NEARING COMPLETION

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THE REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME IS NEARING COMPLETION, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON NIGEL SHIPMAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY THE HON HUI YIN-FAT, MR SHIPMAN SAID: +1 HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO FINALISÉ THE PROPOSALS WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.+

HE SAID THE REVIEW WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH REVISING THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE INDEX, WHICH WAS A STATISTICAL MEASUREMENT OF THE AGGREGATE CHANGE IN THE PRICES OF ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE LIKELY TO BE INCURRED BY HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.

+THE REAL VALUE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS IS MONITORED EACH MONTH AGAINST MOVEMENTS OF THE INDEX AND THE BASIC SCALE OF RATES IS ADJUSTED WHEN PRICE MOVEMENTS IN THE INDEX HAVE SHOWN THIS TO BE NECESSARY, MR SHIPMAN SAID.

+EACH TIME THE RATES ARE ADJUSTED, THEY ARE SET SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE CURRENT LEVEL ON THE INDEX TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE INFLATION.

HE SAID THE REASON WHY NO INCREASE HAD BEEN NECESSARY SINCE FEBRUARY 1984 WAS THAT INFLATION HAD SLOWED DOWN AND THE ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM HAD NOT BEEN TRIGGERED.

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