XN000022-1987-08-07 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1987

"IT IS ALSO BEING INCREASINGLY PREVENTION-ORIENTED IN ADDITION TO PROBLEM-SOLVING AND IT NOW ENCOMPASSES THE AREAS OF COMMUNITY BUILDING, FAMILY, OFFENDERS, ELDERLY, YOUNG PEOPLE, WELFARE SUPPORT, REHABILITATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY, HE SAID.

"

THE PROVISION OF WELFARE WAS NOT ONLY HUMAN AND RESPONSIBLE BUT WAS ALSO NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A STABLE SOCIETY, HE SAID.

THE

WELFARE BASICALLY ASSISTED THE DISADVANTAGED THROUGH PROVISION OF SERVICE OR MONETARY SUPPORT AND THIS HELPED TO STABILISE LABOUR COST AND PROVIDED A SAFETY NET TO PEOPLE, HE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT WELFARE SERVICE WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS WHICH MADE HONG KONG'S WORK AND INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT ATTRACTIVE AND THAT A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN OUR WELFARE PROVISION IN LINE WITH THE ECONOMIC GROWTH WOULD HELP RISING ASPIRATIONS AND INCREASING SOPHISTICATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.

STRESSING THAT WELFARE EXPENDITURE IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN MODERATE AND HAD NOT OVERBURDENED OUR COMMUNITY, MR LEE NOTED THAT SOCIAL WELFARE HAD GROWN AND IMPROVED OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES,

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S WELFARE BUDGET то THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN 1987/88 FINANCIAL YEAR WAS ABOUT $2,798 MILLION.

THE GOVERNMENT'S WELFARE EXPENDITURE BETWEEN 1984 AND 1986 OCCUPIED SIX PER CENT OF THE ΤΟΤΑΙ. WHICH WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE COMPARED WITH FOUR PER CENT OF THE TOTAL SHARE IN 1977.

TOOK

IN TERMS OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, WELFARE EXPENDITURE UP 0.9 PER CENT BETWEEN 1982 AND 1986 A MODERATE INCREASE OVER THE 0.6 PER CENT IN 1977.

RECAPITULATING SWAC'S WORK IN THE PAST YEAR, MR LEE NOTED THAT THE COMMITTEE'S MAIN TERMS OF REFERENCE WERE TO KEEP SOCIAL WELFARE THROUGH SERVICES UNDER CONTINUOUS REVIEW AND TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE ON ALL MATTERS OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY.

HE SAID THAT APART FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE CONVERSANT WITH WELFARE SERVICE DELIVERY, THE COMMITTEE'S MEMBERSHIP ALSO INCLUDED CITIZENS FROM OTHER PROFESSIONS SUCH AS EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY, LAW, ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS.

ON "THIS ALLOWS FOR A GOOD INTERCHANGE OF VIEWS AND EXPERIENCE

UNDER SUBJECTS

DISCUSSION, AND DESPITE THE HETEROGENEITY IN THE BACKGROUND OF MEMBERS, A CONSENSUS OF VIEW IS USUALLY REACHED.

"THE VIEWS OF THE COMMITTEE THEREFORE REFLECT NOT JUST PURELY THE CONSIDERED THE THINKING OF SOCIAL WELFARE PRACTITIONERS, BUT ARE OPINION OF PEOPLE IN MANY WALKS OF LIFE, HE SAID.

/TURNING TO