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Government has not turned a blind eye to the vulnerable: SHW

The Government has not turned a blind eye to the plight of those in need, the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, said during the motion debate on "Disparity of Wealth in Hong Kong" in the Legislative Council this (Wednesday) evening.

She maintained that a Government that spent over $10 billion a year to provide direct financial assistance to over 690,000 persons and that a Government that had increased its recurrent spending on social welfare for those in need by 65 per cent over and above inflation in the last four years alone could not be said to have turned a blind eye to the plight of those in need.

"I would not dare to claim that we are doing enough or that we could not do more. But our eyes are firmly on the vulnerable and the weak. We are not blind nor are our eyes turned away," she stated.

Mrs Fok pointed out that the policy commitments this year contained many services which were provided to ensure the vulnerable elderly and those on public assistance get more help.

In addition, the Government is currently providing CSSA support to about 200,000 financially vulnerable people at a cost of $6.3 billion a year.

Some 560,000 people over 65 years of age, or 92 per cent of the population of Hong Kong in this age group, are also receiving some form of financial public assistance.

But Mrs Fok was quick to point out that cash assistance was not the only or the most important help a Government could give. What was more important to everyone is a home, a job, education for their children and care when they fall sick, she added.

The Secretary also told the Council that social security was not a tool for ironing out inequalities.

"It is a safety net; and we try to give that net enough spring to encourage those who are able to bounce back into the mainstream and support themselves once more.

"In short, we cannot use cash payments to eliminate poverty as part of the Hon Lee Cheuk-yan's amendment seems to suggest," she added.

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