TNAG-0330-FCO40-366-Visit-of-Parliamentary-Under-Secretary-of-State--Anthony-Roy-1972 — Page 88

CONFIDENTIAL

unified Housing Department will be associated with this new Authority.

The Governor stated that it was apparent that in the past the housing

programme as a whole had suffered from the absence of unified control

and administration.

SOCIAL WELFARE

3. The Government have prepared a draft White Paper on social

welfare which was tabled in the Legislative Council on 18 October. The

Paper contains comprehensive proposals for a 5-year plan covering four

main areas of development:

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(1)

Assistance to those who through causes out of their control

This includes the Public

have not adequate means of support.

Assistance Scheme under which at present over 13,500 people are

receiving cash allowances.

(ii) Assistance in cash to vulnerable groups like the

disabled or the elderly infirm.

(iii) Provision of facilities for the disabled with comprehensive services to meet their needs in the field of training, employment

and housing.

(iv) Comprehensive proposals for extending the existing limited

network of community and social centres operated by the Social

Welfare Department to cover the whole of Hong Kong.

If approved the total cost in the period 1973-78 will be

approximately HK $725 million, of which the major proportion will

be borne by the Government.

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CONFIDENTIAL