XN000022-1997-03-12 — Page 46

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He said the role of the Employees Retraining Board and the Vocational Training Council had been reviewed and a comprehensive strategy for manpower training and retraining to meet the needs of the 21st century was being mapped out.

"In the meantime, we recently injected $500 million into the Employees Retraining Board to enable it to sustain its retraining programmes to assist local workers to rejoin the labour market and to extend the scheme to cover new immigrants," he said.

Mr Tsang said the Board of Education had made valuable recommendations about what should be done to improve opportunities for children with special educational needs.

As a result, the Government will spend $30 million in 1997/98 on improvements such as additional staff and increased school grants for the upgrading of facilities and activity programmes in special schools.

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Welfare spending 'impressive'

Hong Kong has an impressive record in welfare spending which has risen 88 per cent in real terms over the past five years, says the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang.

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Mr Tsang said welfare spending will rise to $21.2 billion in 1997/98 a 9.1 per cent increase over last.

Spending on health services rises to $28 billion - a 5.7 per cent increase over

1996/97.

"Members of this (Legislative) Council and the vast majority of the people of Hong Kong want this to be a caring community," Mr Tsang said during his annual Budget address to the Legislative Council today.

"They want us to provide all the support necessary for those whose families are unable to care for them or who need help to do so. And we offer them this support through our extensive health and welfare services.