XN000022-1987-04-01 — Page 17

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987

16

+THERE SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY BROAD DIVISION OF OPINION BETWEEN THOSE WHO FAVOUR A COMPULSORY SCHEME OF SOME KIND, WHETHER CENTRALLY ADMINISTERED OR RUN ON A REGULATED BUT DECENTRALISED BASIS, AND THOSE WHO FAVOUR VOLUNTARY ARRANGEMENTS, HE SAID.

HE SAID HE HOPED THE REPORTS BY THE TWO WORKING GROUPS ON THE ALTERNATIVES TO A COMPULSORY SCHEME, PROBABLY AVAILABLE BY THE END OF MAY, WOULD PROVIDE A BASIS FOR AN INFORMED DECISION AS TO WHICH APPROACH WAS MORE SUITABLE TO HONG KONG.

AS TO THE REMARK THAT LONG SERVICE PAYMENT WOULD HELP CAUSE PROPRIETORS IN LABOUR-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES TO TRANSFER THEIR OPERATIONS TO CHINA, MR BRIDGE SAID IT ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY A VERY SMALL PART OF THE VARIABLES IN THE TOTAL COST EQUATION.

HOWEVER, HE ASSURED MEMBERS THAT THE LIKELY COST OF PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LABOUR LEGISLATION WOULD ALWAYS BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

HE SAID THERE WERE PLANS TO UNDERTAKE A FURTHER REVIEW IN THE NEAR FUTURE OF THE OVERALL IMPACT OF LABOUR LEGISLATION ON PRODUCTION COSTS.

ON SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH COUNCIL, MR BRIDGE SAID THE PROPOSAL WAS ENDORSED BY BOTH EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER REPRESENTATIVES ON THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD AND WAS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH.

MR BRIDGE SAID HE DISAGREED WITH THE COMMENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHED LITTLE IMPORTANCE TO THE WORK OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, SAYING THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S PROVISION SOUGHT FOR 1987-88 EXCEEDED THE APPROVED ESTIMATE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR BY 12.5 PER CENT AND THAT FOR 1982-83 BY SOME 96 PER CENT.

SOME 78 NEW POSTS WOULD ALSO BE CREATED IN THE DEPARTMENT IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, AN INCREASE OF FIVE PER CENT OVER THE CURRENT ESTABLISHMENT, TO COPE WITH INCREASING WORKLOAD, HE SAID.

TURNING TO REHABILITATION SERVICES, WHILE NOTING THE CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT THE LOW PRIORITY TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING SERVICES, MR BRIDGE SAID IT WAS REASONABLE THAT HIGHER PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MAINTAINING EXISTING STANDARDS OF SERVICES IN RESPONSE TO PRESSING DEMANDS.

MR BRIDGE ALSO INFORMED MEMBERS THAT THE DEMAND FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE SERVICES, BOTH LONG-STAY CARE CENTRES AND HALF- WAY HOUSES, WOULD BE MET IN FULL BY THE EARLY 1990'S, INCLUDING PROVISIONS FOR FORMER MENTAL PATIENTS WITH PREVIOUS TENDENCIES TO VIOLENCE.

ON MANPOWER RESOURCES, HE SAID THE MANNING SCALE FOR MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKER IN THE PSYCHIATRIC FIELD WOULD SHORTLY BE IMPROVED, AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND OVERSEAS STUDIES WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO HELP DEVELOP THE MANPOWER REQUIRED FOR SOCIAL WORK IN THIS PARTICULAR FIELD.

t

/17