XN000022-1996-03-02+03 — Page 3

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In spite of the wide range of the services provided, Mrs Fok said there would always be more that needed to be done.

"Concerns expressed for the welfare of the elderly during the recent cold spell made that very clear," she said.

"It has made me even more aware that Government and the NGOs (non- governmental organisations) cannot do it all; we cannot ultimately replace the role of the family and of good neighbourliness.

"That is why we are encouraging social networking through our ambitious plans to expand social centres for the elderly and our programmes using volunteers to reach out to elderly people - especially those living alone.

"Both aim to ensure that they become more a part of the community in which they live and that their potential to provide mutual support is developed."

The Director of Social Welfare is drawing up initiatives with the Director of Home Affairs and in liaison with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and NGOs to promote further the need for community involvement in caring for the elderly.

Direct welfare services for people with a disability will take up $1.3 billion next year which is a 15 per cent increase over this year.

In order to improve the opportunities for such people to obtain jobs and thus encourage their integration, the Government plans to expand vocational assessment and training services for about 900 people in sheltered workshops, traffic accident victims and injured workers.

The number of supported employment places will also be increased by 164 per cent, from the existing 360 to 950 in 1996-97.

To make it easier for the disabled to get to their workplaces, eight extra scheduled routes and three more buses will be added to the "dial-a-ride" Rehabus service. This will boost the number of passenger trips by 21 per cent to nearly 390,000 per year.

Expenditure on the non-contributory Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme is estimated to rise by about 23 per cent next year to $5.9 billion.