XN000022-1993-12-01 — Page 34

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1993

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON LAM KUI-CHUN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR LEE SAID MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS ASSESSED AS HAVING THE ABILITY TO WORK IN OPEN EMPLOYMENT WERE PROVIDED WITH VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION IN SIX SKILLS CENTRES FOR THE DISABLED RUN BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS.

"THESE CENTRES NORMALLY ARRANGE JOB PLACEMENTS OR JOB PLACEMENT REFERRALS FOR THEIR TRAINEES PRIOR ΤΟ THE COMPLETION OF THEIR TRAINING, HE SAID.

FF

"THIS HELPS TO MINIMISE TRAINEES' WAITING TIME FOR OPEN

EMPLOYMENT.

OF THE 83 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO COMPLETED VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST LAST YEAR, 66, OR 80 PER CENT, HAD SECURED OPEN EMPLOYMENT,

AS FOR THOSE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO CANNOT BENEFIT FROM VOCATIONAL TRAINING, SOME ARE PROVIDED WITH SUPPORTED OR SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT.

STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN THE 1991/92 SCHOOL YEAR, THERE WERE 93 REFERRALS FOR SUPPORTED OR SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT, OF WHOM 43 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS, OR 45 PER CENT, SECURED SUCH EMPLOYMENT.

DR LEE NOTED THAT APART FROM THE SKILL CENTRES, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION ALSO PROVIDED FREE PLACEMENT SERVICES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS WISHING TO SEEK JOBS IN OPEN MARKET.

THE

MORE TIMELY TRAFFIC UPDATES FOR ROAD USERS

THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS TO START UP A NEW DEDICATED RADIO BROADCAST CHANNEL POR ROAD USERS SINCE RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG (RTHK) ALREADY OPERATES A DEDICATED TRAFFIC CHANNEL, RADIO 7.

HOWEVER, CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO IMPROVING FURTHER LIAISON BETWEEN RTHK AND THE POLICE AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT MORE TIMELY TRAFFIC UPDATES FROM ALL PARTS OF THE TERRITORY ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCER.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HOWARD YOUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR SO POINTED OUT THAT TRAFFIC REPORTS WERE BROADCAST IN CANTONESE ON RADIO 7 THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT HALF-HOURLY INTERVALS, WITH THE FREQUENCY INCREASING TO EVERY 15 MINUTES BETWEEN 8 AM AND 9 AM AND FROM 5.30 PM TO 6.30 PM.

/THERE IS