XN000022-1993-10-27 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993

LARGE

THEY DEALT WITH THE NEEDS OF THE SMALL AS WELL AS CONSTITUENCIES: THE CHRONICALLY AND TERMINALLY ILL, THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TOO READILY FORGOTTEN.

ON HEALTH CARE, SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS MAKING A DETERMINED EFFORT TO IMPROVE QUALITY AND TO CATER FOR THOSE WHO NEEDED SPECIAL CARE.

ALTHOUGH

THERE ARE MORE TO BE DONE AND MANY OBJECTIVES TO ВЕ MET, SIR DAVID SAID THEY WOULD BE MET WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE PRINCIPLES, THAT NOBODY SHOULD BE DENIED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARR FOR LACK OF MEANS AND THAT NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR ESSENTIAL TREATMENT.

"WITH SO MANY HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD UNDER HUGE PRESSURE, IF NOT BREAKING DOWN, WE MUST AND WILL LEARN THE LESSONS OF ELSEWHERE.

"WE WILL KEEP OUR SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE AND CARING, 申申 HE SAID.

DESPITE THE RANGE OF SOCIAL SERVICES, SIR DAVID SAID HONG KONG PEOPLE STILL HAVE A LEGITIMATE ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUNDING OF THEIR OLD AGE.

HE NOTED THAT MANY GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY SAW THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS THESE ANXIETIES WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A PROVIDENT FUND AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON MAKE PROPOSALS FOR THE WAY FORWARD.

"I CAN ASSURE YOU WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF OUR DUTY TO COME FORWARD WITH PROPOSALS THAT ARE CLEAR, THAT PROVIDE REAL. NOT ILLUSORY BENEFITS FOR WORKERS BEYOND WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT ΤΟ SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THAT MEET ANXIETIES ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS, HE SAID.

THE

RECEIVE FROM SECURITY OF

GOVT

—

SMALL BUT DOING BIG THINGS: CS

* *

DOES BIG

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS A SMALL GOVERNMENT THAT THINGS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.

SIR DAVID SAID THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD MAKE EVEN DEMANDS ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

GREATER

THEY HAVE NEW PROGRAMMES TO IMPLEMENT, BIGGER PROBLEMS TO WITH, HE SAID.

DEAL

"BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE PUBLIC CAN BE SURE THAT THE AND WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES WILL TO THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE,

LE SIR DAVID SAID.

HE SAID THEY NEEDED THE SUPPORT OF THE LEGCO AND OF

COMMUNITY.

MEN

RISE

THE

"FOR OUR PART, WE HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO TRAIN THEM FOR THE TRANSITION; WE ARE DEVELOPING PLANS FOR A PENSION RESERVE FUND; AND WR HAVE ACCELERATED THE LOCALISATION PROGRAMME, HE SAID.

/OVER THE