XN000022-1990-02-14 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1990

6

EX-POW, WAR WIDOW GRANT RATES REVIEWED ANNUALLY

**

WAR

TO ENSURE THAT THE REAL PURCHASING POWER OF GRANTS MADE TO EX-PRISONERS OF WAR AND

WIDOWS IS MAINTAINED, THE RATES ARE AND REVIEWED ANNUALLY

ARE ADJUSTED IN LINE WITH INFLATION,

ELIZABETH SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

WONG,

TOLD

THE THE

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON PETER H.Y. WONG, MRS WONG SAID THERE WERE 314 EX-PRISONERS OF WAR AND 193 WAR WIDOWS CURRENTLY

OF RECEIVING GRANTS OR OTHER FORMS

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE HONG KONG WAR MEMORIAL FUND.

"THE GRANTS CURRENTLY BEING PAID AMOUNT FOR A SINGLE ADULT AND $4,140 PER MONTH FOR A SAID.

ΤΟ $2,460 PER MONTH MARRIED COUPLE,

+T

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE OTHER ALLOWANCES AND BENEFITS

TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS.

HAVE

SHE

PAYABLE

"ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT CONSIDERED THAT THERE IS A CASE FOR PENSIONS AS OF RIGHT TO BE PAID то EX-PRISONERS OF WAR, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE

ALWAYS RECOGNISED THE SPECIAL DEBT TO THOSE WHO SERVED HONG KONG LOYALLY DURING THE INCLUDING PRISONERS OF WAR.

WAR,

"THE HONG KONG WAR MEMORIAL FUND WAS ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE THAT EX-PRISONERS OF WAR AND THEIR WIDOWS WHO WERE IN NEED SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY PROVIDED FOR," MRS WONG SAID.

FILM CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM PROVIDES FOR CHOICE AND PROTECTION

THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON PETER TSAO, SAID 682 FILMS, REPRESENTATING 48 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FILMS PASSED, HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH CERTIFICATES UNDER CATEGORY III SINCE THE EXISTING FILM CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CAME INTO FORCE IN NOVEMBER 1988.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON DANIEL TSE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), MR TSAO SAID THAT HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN APPARENT DOWNWARD TRENDIN MORE RECENT FIGURES.

"FILM DISTRIBUTORS HAVE RESUBMITTED FILMS WHICH WERE BANNED OR SEVERELY CUT UNDER THE PREVIOUSLY, MORE RESTRICTIVE SYSTEM.

"WE EXPECT THE PROPORTION OF CATEGORY III FILMS ΤΟ DROP GRADUALLY AS THIS BACKLOG IS CLEARED, HE SAID.

"

/MR TSAO