XN000022-1988-03-28 — Page 7

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 1988

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'THINK TANK' GETS TO WORK

THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HAS DECIDED TO HOLD A "BRAINSTORMING SESSION" BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH AT WHICH EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTRIBUTE HIS OR HER OWN IDEAS.

THIS WAS SAID TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMAN, PROFESSOR POON CHUNG-KWONG, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE.

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PROF POON NOTED THAT THE COMMITTEE'S 15 MEMBERS

EIGHT NON-OFFICIALS AND SEVEN OFFICIALS

HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO FORM A THINK TANK ON SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ISSURS OF RELEVANCE TO HONG KONG.

HE SAID THE COMMITTEE COMPRISED A GOOD MIX OF EXPERTS FROM MANY DIFFERENT FIELDS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

"BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT THE COMMITTEE CAN LOOK INTO BOTH OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST AND MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM INTEREST, THE COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED TO HOLD A BRAINSTORMING SESSION BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH, HE SAID.

"I

"EVERY MEMBER WILL MAKE KNOWN HIS OR HER VIEWS ON HOW THE COMMITTEE CAN WORK AND FUNCTION, AND WHICH PROJECT THE COMMITTEE CAN CONSIDER FURTHER,

"WITH A VARIETY OF PROJECTS, IDEAS AND PROPOSALS PUT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN THEN DECIDE ON A SET OF CRITERIA, BASED ON WHICH WE CAN SET A PRIORITY,

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REVISED CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES PLANNING RATIO ENDORSED

THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTER TODAY (MONDAY) ENDORSED THE REVISION OF THE PLANNING RATIO FOR CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES FROM FIVE PLACES TO EIGHT PLACES FER THOUSAND POPULATION AGED 60 OR ABOVE.

IT ACCEPTED THE NEW RAT10 AFTER CONSIDERING THE CURRENT SITUATION ON THE CENTRAL WAITING LIST, ENROLMENT IN THE EXISTING CARE- AND-ATTENTION HOMES AND THE HIDDEN DEMAND FACTOR.

THE COMMITTEE ALSO AGREED THAT, RESOURCES SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SHOULD CONDUCT A STUDY IN THE DEMAND FOR CARE-AND-ATTENTION PLACES.

PERMITTING, THE 1989 ΤΟ EXAMINE

/HOWEVER, IT