Appendix 3: The Hong Kong Government and Social Welfare
In 1973 the Hong Kong Government published a pamphlet entitled Social Welfare in Hong Kong: the Way Ahead, in which it outlined its "Five Year Plan for social welfare development", 1973-1978. The Plan envisages some progress in each of the Social Welfare Department's five divisions - group and community work, family services, probation and corrections, social security, and rehabilitation,
"... the sum of the proposals constitutes a practical but far reaching programme of social welfare development - a programme, moreover, which meets Hong Kong's particular needs." (p. 31)
The totality of the Government's social security proposals for 1973-1978 are des- cribed below:
"a.
To establish a balanced social security system, tailored to Hong Kong's needs. The system will operate in three ways:
i. emergency relief to victims of disasters
ii. a means-tested public assistance scheme to guarantee an acceptable
level of income to those in the community who have the least money. The scheme will be reviewed annually to ensure it continues to work effectively.
iii. non-contributory schemes to assist the most ‘vulnerable groups' in
the community. The first groups to be helped will be the severely disabled and those over 75 years of age. Should this new scheme prove to be successful, it will be extended to other groups such as widowed mothers with young children and the chronically sick.
All of these schemes will be the Government's direct responsibility.” (p. 29)
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