XN000022-1992-08-07 — Page 2

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1992

1.

VISITS IMPORTANT TO SHAPE POLICY DIRECTION: GOVERNOR

* * * * *

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID IT HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO SEE THINGS FOR HIMSELF IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE FIELD BECAUSE IT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIM ΤΟ CONSIDER PRIORITIES IN PUBLIC SPENDING PROGRAMMES SO THAT HE COULD HELP SHAPE THE DIRECTION OF SOCIAL POLICY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THE GOVERNOR MADE THE REMARKS AFTER VISITING A NUMBER OF WELFARE AGENCIES AND ORGANISATIONS TODAY (FRIDAY).

BY

DESCRIBING TODAY'S VISITS AS A VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE, MR PATTEN SAID HE WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED BY THE WORK UNDERTAKEN VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND BY THE GOVERNMENT DIRECTLY, ON BEHALF SOME OF THE NEEDIER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY; THE ELDERLY, HANDICAPPED AND THE POORER MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

FEW

OF

THE

VERY

LAST FEW

"HOWEVER, SUCCESSFUL WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY, AND THERE ARE COMMUNITIES WHICH HAVE DONE BETTER ECONOMICALLY IN THE YEARS THAN HONG KONG, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US NOT то FORGET ABOUT THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO DON'T DO AS WELL, WHO DON'T SUCCEED AS WELL AS OTHERS, OR WHO BECAUSE OF AGE OR INFIRMITY OR HANDICAP, NEED AN EXTRA BIT OF ASSISTANCE,' HE SAID.

"

WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON PRESS REPORTS THAT HE HAD SENT A MESSAGE TO MR LU PING, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF CHINA'S STATE COUNCIL ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY SECRET ABOUT IT, SINCE I ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT IT ON A SIMILAR OCCASION TO THIS I THINK LAST WEEK.

"MR

LU PING HAS SENT ONE OR TWO MESSAGES TO ME, AS YOU KNOW, INCLUDING ONE BY THE DELEGATION FROM THE DABHK (THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FOR BETTERMENT OF HONG KONG) WHICH WENT UP TO PEKING ΤΟ SEE HIM.

"I'VE ALSO SENT A MESSAGE TO MR LU PING SAYING THAT I HOPED TO SEE HIM BEFORE тоо LONG, EITHER IN PEKING OR IN HONG KONG, AND POINTING OUT WHAT I SAID IN MY INAUGURAL ADDRESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADING AN EFFECTIVE, STRONG GOVERNMENT; AN EXECUTIVE-LED

GOVERNMENT.

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**I DREW HIS ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SAID IN MY INAUGURATION SPEECH WHICH WAS EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS AND ONE DAY AGO, MR PATTEN SAID.

THE GOVERNOR BEGAN HIS WELFARE DAY WITH A BRIEFING BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG.

MR

ACCOMPANIED BY MRS WONG AND THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MD CARTLAND, THE GOVERNOR FIRST TOURED THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRAL/WESTERN DISTRICT OFFICE.

HE WAS BRIEFED ON A PACKAGE OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES, INCLUDING FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION.

/HE ALSO