XN000022-1993-03-04 — Page 32

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993

PS:

WELL, I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY SUCH PROMISE, WE ARE RATHER CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT PROMISES WE MAKE. 1 CERTAINLY HAVE SOME SYMPATHY FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL HOW WE TREAT THE CIVIL SERVICE BUT I BELIEVE THAT OVER THE YEARS THE SYSTEM THAT WE

HAVE USED. ADMITTEDLY WITH THE OCCASIONAL DEPARTURE FROM IT, HAS I MEAN THE CIVIL SERVICE PAY HAS GONE

SERVED THE CIVIL SERVICE WELL.

UP IN REAL TERMS, JUST AS THE PAY OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS GONE UP IN REAL TERMS. BUT WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE FIGURES TURN OUT THIS YEAR. BUT I AM CERTAINLY AGAINST PAYMENTS WHICH SEEK TO MAKE UP FOR ANY PAST PERCEIVED REDUCTIONS. WE HAVE, I THINK IT IS TRUE, ALWAYS GIVEN INCREASES WHICH ARE AT LEAST THE LEVEL OF INFLATION, AND SOMETIMES CONSIDERABLY MORE, I DON'T THINK THAT IS UNREASONABLE.

QUESTION;

ARE

OUR

GOOD MORNING, MR FINANCIAL SECRETARY. I WOULD LIKE TO PUT A QUESTION REGARDING THE DEPENDANT BALANCE ALLOWANCE. WE NOT SUPPOSED TO GET THE DEPENDANT BALANCE ALLOWANCE BECAUSE PARENTS ARE NOT RESIDENT IN HONG KONG, AND ACCORDING ΤΟ TERMS CONDITIONS OF OUR CONTRACT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING OUR PARENTS HONG KONG; OUR PARENTS ARE STILL IN OUR COUNTRY BUT WE ARE SUPPORTING THEM.

FS:

AND

то

I SEE, I UNDERSTAND YOUR PROBLEM. IT IS NOT ONE THAT I WOULD SEEK TO ADDRESS NORMALLY IN THE BUDGET, BUT I AM QUITE HAPPY, IF WE HAVE YOUR NUMBER, TO GET THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT PERHAPS ΤΟ RING YOU BACK WITH A VIEW ON THAT. I THINK, YOU KNOW OFF THE CUFF. THE PROBLEM WITH EXTENDING IT TO NON-RESIDENT PARENTS WOULD BE THE DIFFICULTY OF ENFORCEMENT, IT COULD BE A MAJOR LOOPHOLE, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET SOMEONE TO HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR PROBLEM.

THANK YOU FOR

QUESTION:

OFFERING ME A CHANCE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH TWO CHILDREN, THEY ARE HAEMOPHILIACS, BUT THEN IN YOUR BUDGET THEY WILL BE GIVEN SOME EX GRATIA PAYMENT; I AM INDEED HEARTENED BY THAT BUT MY FRIEND SAYS THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. EVERYDAY, IN ORDER TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE CHILDREN, MY FRIEND WILL HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND HE CANNOT REALLY TAKE UP A FULL-TIME JOB AND THEN HIS STANDARD OF LIVING IS NOT THAT HIGH, SO IT IS HOPED THAT ON THIS FRONT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY CAN TAKE EVEN BETTER CARE OF THEM TO SEE WHETHER MORE CONCESSIONS CAN BE GRANTED ΤΟ THEM, FOR EXAMPLE ON THE MEDICAL FRONT. WELL, I THINK THE INCUMBENT FINANCIAL SECRETARY IS A GOOD PERSON, HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HANDFUL OF HAEMOPHILIACS, THAT SHOWS THAT HE IS A CARING FINANCIAL SECRETARY. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

FS:

THANK YOU.

WE DO RECOGNISE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE 350 MILLION WHICH I ANNOUNCED IS WHAT I WAS ADVISED WOULD BE SUFFICIENT, FOR A RANGE OF THINGS, NOT JUST DIRECT PAYMENTS BUT ALSO SERVICES TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE AND THOSE FAMILIES WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ILLNESS. BUT AGAIN, I AM OPEN TO ARGUMENT, IF THE MONEY PROVES TO BE INADEQUATE WE ARE QUITE READY TO HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT FUND WORKS AND HOW ADEQUATE IT IS BEFORE WE LOOK AT ANY INCREASE. BUT IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, LET US KNOW ABOUT THEM.

KIT CUMMMINGS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO HAMISH MACLEOD.

THE FINANCIAL

SECRETARY, MR

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