XN000022-1989-05-10 — Page 24

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1989

22

"TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PAYMENTS UNDER ALL THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS

PERSON RECEIVES ON OF OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, A SINGLE ALMOST TWICE THE BASIC PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RATE AND A TWO-MEMBER MORE THAN TWICE THE BASIC RATE," HE ADDED.

AVERAGE

FAMILY

SOCIAL MR CHAU ALSO RE-AFFIRMED GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE

FOR EXAMPLE, BY THE SECURITY SYSTEM, WHICH HE SAID WAS REFLECTED,

$1.4 BILLION IN INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE ON THE VARIOUS SCHEMES FROM 1984-85 TO 2.21 BILLION IN 1988-89.

WILL CONTINUE то

THE KEEP TO ENSURE THUS MAINTAIN THEIR

WE "AS PART OF THIS COMMITMENT, RATES OF PAYMENTS UNDER THESE SCHEMES UNDER REGULAR REVIEW THAT THEY KEEP FULLY IN PACE WITH INFLATION AND PURCHASING POWER IN REAL TERMS," HE SAID.

ΤΟ

ANY IMPROVEMENTS

THE

то

RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF IN RESPONSE TO CONCERN OVER THE TOTAL SOCIAL WELFARE BUDGET WHICH WENT

SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS AND TO WELFARE SERVICES,

CHAU NOTED THAT SOCIAL SECURITY WERE CONSIDERED ON AN EQUAL FOOTING TO WELFARE SERVICES, ALTHOUGH BOTH HAD TO COMPETE FOR OF RESOURCES.

WITH IMPROVEMENT THE ALLOCATION

ARE "UNFORTUNATELY, AN ADDITIONAL RESOURCE CONSTRAINT WHICH WE

THE SHORTAGE OF FACING IN IMPROVING A NUMBER OF WELFARE SERVICES IS TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS.

"THIS HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL, FOR EXAMPLE, IN DELAYING THE

OF PROVISION

VARIOUS IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREED MANNING RATIOS IN THE WELFARE SERVICES AND HAS PREVENTED REDUCTIONS IN SOCIAL WORKERS' CASELOADS," HE SAID.

MATTER HOWEVER, THIS MANPOWER PROBLEM WAS BEING ADDRESSED AS A

WEEK OF OF PRIORITY AND, FOLLOWING FINANCE COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL LAST

ANNUAL INTAKES THE NECESSARY FUNDS, THERE WOULD BE THREE SUBSTANTIAL

STUDENTS OF ADDITIONAL SOCIAL WORK

INTO THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS COMMENCING IN SEPTEMBER, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO THE PROVISION OF FAMILY WELFARE SERVICES, GROWING PARTICULARLY IN THE NEW TOWNS, MR CHAU SAID THAT TO MEET THIS

HAD NEED THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

PAST THREE INCREASED BY ONE-THIRD THE NUMBER OF SUCH CENTRES IT OPERATED.

OVER THE

YEARS

THERE WERE NOW A TOTAL OF 53 FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES RUN EITHER BY THE SWD OR BY THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR, HE SAID.

ESTABLISHED OVER THE

IN NEXT

"SINCE 1987 ALONE, FIVE SUCH CENTRES HAVE BEEN THE NEW TOWNS AND THERE ARE PLANS FOR FURTHER CENTRES TWO YEARS IN YUEN LONG AND TSUEN WAN KWAI CHUNG, MR CHAU SAID.

SOCIAL WORKERS WHO WERE CHAU SAID THIS AS WELL AS

ON THE NEED TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF FULLY EQUIPPED TO UNDERTAKE MARRIAGE COUNSELLING, MR SERVICE WAS AVAILABLE AT ALL THE FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES THROUGH THE CATHOLIC MARRIAGE ADVISORY COUNCIL.

/"I ACCEPT ...............