XN000022-1987-01-14 — Page 42

40

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987

HE SAID THAT AT PRESENT THE SUPERVISORY RATIO WAS ONE SUPERVISOR TO 10 SOCIAL WORKERS IN FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES.

CHILD ABUSE CASES WERE HANDLED BOTH BY FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES AND BY THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE UNIT (CPSU), A SPECIAL UNIT SET UP TO DEAL WITH THE MORE SERIOUS ABUSE CASES.

HE SAID THAT IN THE CPSU THE AVERAGE CASELOAD PER CASEWORKER AT THE END OF DECEMBER LAST YEAR WAS 48.2. WITH THE ADDITION OF ONE SOCIAL WORKER TO THE UNIT EARLY THIS YEAR, THE AVERAGE CASELOAD HAD BEEN IMPROVED TO 40.

MR CHAMBERS ADDED THAT IN VIEW OF THE COMPLICATED NATURE OF CHILD ABUSE CASES, THE MANNING RATIO OF THE CPSU WAS BEING REVIEWED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

$400 MILLION TO INTRODUCE SEPARATE TAXATION

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THE PRESENT ESTIMATED COST OF INTRODUCING A SCHEME OF SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES WOULD BE AT LEAST $400 MILLION IN THE YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION AND IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS THEREAFTER, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON RITA FAN, MR JACOBS SAID THAT IN ADDITION THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT'S ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS WOULD INCREASE BY SOME $17 MILLION PER ANNUM BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED NUMBER OF FILES RESULTING FROM A SCHEME OF SEPARATE TAXATION.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FORMER FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD ESTIMATED IN 1983 THAT THE COST OF INTRODUCING A SCHEME OF SEPARATE TAXATION FOR MARRIED COUPLES WOULD BE $285 MILLION IN THE YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND AROUND $180 MILLION IN A FULL YEAR.

+THE INCREASE TO $400 MILLION ARISES BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND ADJUSTMENTS TO TAX THRESHOLDS SINCE THEN,+ MR JACOBS SAID.

THE DIFFERENCE