XN000022-1990-10-10 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1990

"BUT CHANGING

POPULATION STRUCTURE

LIFE STYLES AND SOCIAL HABITS, CHANGES IN THE INSTITUTIONS TRADITIONAL AND NEW PRESSURES ON

LIKE THE FAMILY CREATE, INEVITABLY, NEW TENSIONS AND STRAINS.

THAT NOTING

NOT СОРЕ SOCIAL

FAMILIES COULD SOME INDIVIDUALS AND

SAID: "OUR SUPPORT, OUTSIDE

EXISTING SIR DAVID WITHOUT SERVICES ALREADY TAKE CARE OF THE BASIC NEEDS OF THESE PEOPLE.

GUIDANCE THE

"INCREASINGLY, THEY NOW TEND TO REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL RATHER THAN FINANCIAL HELP A SIGNIFICANT BREAK WITH THE PAST IN WELFARE FIELD," HE SAID.

-

WOULD BE

ON THE WHITE PAPER ON WELFARE SERVICES WHICH HAD BEEN PUBLISHED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SIR DAVID SAID THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENT ISSUED IN ITS FINAL FORM EARLY NEXT YEAR.

SERVICES

"THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER EMPHASISES THE DEVELOPMENT OF

RIGHTLY SO. THE FAMILY HAS A TO SUPPORT THE INTEGRITY OF THE FAMILY.

SECURITY CRUCIAL ROLE IN PROVIDING CARE, MUTUAL SUPPORT AND EMOTIONAL TO ITS MEMBERS.

TEN YEARS

"CHANGES OVER THE NEXT

THEM WITH WILL BRING

IN SUCH TIMES OF INCREASING PRESSURES ON THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY. CHANGE, IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES TO PRESERVE, STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT THE FAMILY AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE GOVERNOR SAID,

11

DRAFT

HE SAID ONE IMPORTANT PROPOSAL WHICH HAD EMERGED IN THE WHITE PAPER WAS THE SUGGESTION TO GIVE FAMILIES ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE A FOOD AND CHILD SUPPLEMENT TO HELP TOWARDS THE EXTRA COSTS OF THE RECREATION WHICH EVERY CHILD NEEDED FOR HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT,

CENTRES,

IN ADDITION, MORE SERVICES IN THE FORM OF DAY CARE AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAMMES AND HOME HELP SERVICES WOULD BE NEEDED TO FAMILIES WHERE BOTH EASE THE BURDEN UPON THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PARENTS WERE AT WORK.

SIR DAVID SAID NEXT YEAR WOULD ALSO SEE THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW ABUSE LEGISLATION TO GIVE CHILDREN BETTER PROTECTION FROM THE RISK OF OR NEGLECT.

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PRODUCING

'LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY AND A LOW BIRTH-RATE ARE NOW AN OLDER SOCIETY. SOME 15 PER CENT OF OUR POPULATION WILL BE OVER THE PROVIDING ADEQUATE AGE OF 60 SOON. THIS UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, HE SAID.

EXTENDED IN THE GOVERNOR SAID THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE WOULD BE

ABOVE. IT WOULD APRIL TO INCLUDE ALL HONG KONG RESIDENTS AGED 65 OR

THE NEARLY SEVEN PER CENT OF THEN BE PAYABLE TO SOME 380,000 PEOPLE POPULATION.

-

HAVE "AS THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER MAKES CLEAR, WE WILL ALSO

MORE RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND DEVELOP PROVIDE APPROACHES, SUCH AS SELF-SUPPORTING BUT NON-PROFIT-MAKING HOMES.

TO

NEW

/"LEGISLATION WILL