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Mrs Fok also touched on the need to continue to nurture with care the co- operation and partnership between the Government and the non-government sector to meet the welfare needs of our community. However, she said to nurture was not to freeze that relationship.

"It must be allowed to grow and respond to changing times. A constructive dialogue is currently in hand regarding how we might modernise our subvention systems to allow our partnership with the NGO sector to grow stronger and flourish well into the next century.

"The Subvention Consultancy Study will, I hope, make some fundamental recommendations for change. Those changes are likely to give the NGO's much greater freedom to deploy resources provided by Government in a more effective way to meet the standards of performance required in all service areas," she said.

Turning to the health side, Mrs Fok said the Government objectives in the promotion of primary health care were clearly defined.

She noted that the main health problems in our community were addressed through a comprehensive programme of promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitation services. The establishment of a Health Care and Promotion Fund further illustrated the Government's commitment to increasing health promotion. preventive care and associated research. In disease prevention, the immunisation and health education programmes for children are on-going and a new Student Health Service has been introduced.

It is also Government's policy to improve the oral health of the population by promoting oral hygiene and oral health awareness in the community, targeting in particular young people. Curative service is also provided to specific groups on a need

basis.

On some members' comments about the Goverment's monitoring mechanism of the Hospital Authority, Mrs Fok said the Authority was required by law to furnish the Secretary for Health and Welfare with all relevant information relating to its operation and the facilities for verification of such information.

The Authority's Annual Accounts and Annual Report are tabled in the Legislative Council. Quarterly meetings are also held between the Government and the Authority to review its performance against agreed targets.