XN000022-1994-07-15 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1994

MR PATTEN ALSO TOURED THE JUNIOR POLICE OFFICERS CANTEEN WHERE HE CHATTED WITH OFFICERS ABOUT THEIR WORK.

THE GOVERNOR THEN VISITED THE CENTRAL DIVISION BRIEFING ROOM AND ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF THE BUSY REPORT ROOM.

BEFORE THE END OF HIS VISIT, THE GOVERNOR MET OFFICERS OF DISTRICT CRIME UNIT AND THE DISTRICT ANTI-TRIAD SQUAD.

0

THE

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION AFTER HIS VISIT TO AN AGED HOME

GOVERNOR,

WAH

ONE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE YWCA WAN CARE AND ATTENTION HOME FOR THE ELDERLY THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON:-

GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT OF THE CHALLENGES FOR US IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, ONE OF THE OBLIGATIONS ON US AS A SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY, IS TO PROVIDE BETTER FOR THE ELDERLY AND THERE IS AN IMPREGNABLE LOGIC ABOUT THAT AS WELL BECAUSE THE DEMOGRAPHIC PRESSURES ARE BECOMING MUCH GREATER. BY 1997, 11 PER CENT OR MAYBE A LITTLE MORE OF OUR POPULATION WILL BE 65 OR OVER. THAT'S 600, 000 OF OUR FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND NEEDING MORE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND PRIOR QUALITY SERVICES. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RESPOND ΤΟ THAT CHALLENGE. FOR EXAMPLE, WE WANT TO SEE MORE EXCELLENT CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES LIKE THIS ONE AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THE YWCA FOR PROVIDING IT. THIS'S THE SUPPORT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDE ANOTHER 800 CARE AND ATTENTION HOME PLACES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THAT IS PART OF OUR RESPONSE ΤΟ THE CHALLENGE. WE DO RECOGNISE THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT ALL THESE SERVICES ARE LOCKED TOGETHER THAT WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF SERVICES. THAT'S WHY WE'VE SET UP A WORKING GROUP ON THE ELDERLY AND THEIR NEEDS. THAT WORKING GROUP WILL BE REPORTING IN AUGUST AND WE'LL THEN WANT TO SEE HOW WE CAN CARRY FORWARD ITS RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, A KEY TO WELL-BEING AND SECURITY IN OLD AGE IS NOT WORRYING ABOUT MONEY. IT'S HAVING A SECURE INCOME TO LOOK AFTER THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE. WE ORIGINALLY, AS I THINK YOU KNOW, TOOK THE POSITION THAT THE BEST WAY OF PROVIDING FOR PEOPLE'S FINANCIAL NEEDS IN OLD AGE WAS THROUGH PRIVATE PENSION SCHEMES ADMINISTERED VOLUNTARILY. BUT THE COMMUNITY TOOK THE VIEW AND THAT WAS MADE CLEAR TO US BY LOBBIES, BY SOCIAL WELFARE GROUPS, BY OTHER GROUPS AND SOCIETIES AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT WASN'T ENOUGH THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP A POLICY MORE COMPREHENSIVELY THAN ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . SO WE'VE COME FORWARD WITH OUR PENSION SCHEME PROPOSALS AND WE'VE LAUNCHED THE DISCUSSIONS ON THOSE THIS WEEK.

/THOSE PROPOSALS