surprisingly small by western standards
B
21,595 in January 1974.
a tribute perhaps to the Chinese family system). A second milestone was the provision in the following year of disability
lowances and infirmity allowances (without means test) for persons over 75 years of age.
28.
A Working Party on the theme "Care of the elderly within the community" has produced a report which inter alia lays stress on the importance of providing an assured income for the elderly and recommends that consideration should be given to lowering the qualifying age for infirmity allowances to 70. (The current rate is HK$ 72.50 a month (about £6)). It goes on "It may be that subsequently the age limit could be further reduced to 65, but that it would be ill-advised to extend the scope of the scheme too rapidly. As at January 1974, 31,458 individuals were in receipt of disability and infirmity allowances at a cost in that month of AKS 3,136,875.
11
Medical Services
29. There is no system of contributory social security in Hong Kong, but the medical services are available to all at a nominal charge. At government general outpatient clinics there is a nominal charge of $1 a visit, including medicine and such things as X-rays and laboratory tests. Consultation at a specialist clinic also costs $1. There are no charges for patients at tuberculosis, social hygiene and leprosy clinics or for patients suffering from quarantinable diseases. Similarly, no charges are made at certain remote institutions located in outlying areas or on the floating clinics. The infant welfare and ante-natal and post-natal clinics are also free. For patients admitted in the general ward of government hospitals, the daily maintenance and treatment fee ranges from $2 to $6 according to the diet supplied. Where a patient is unable to pay the medical fees, provision has been made for the charges to be either waived or reduced at the discretion of the Director of Medical and Health Services.
VI.
Conclusion
The Role of Government
30. In the circumstances of Hong Kong where weak and divided trade unions and a multiplicity of small industrial undertakings combine to make relatively ineffective pressure from wage-earners for improvements in their working conditions, the Governor and the Government have accepted that they have a heightened responsibility for ensuring reasonable labour standards by legislative means. The programme of labour legislation outlined in paragraphs 20 to 25 above shows how this responsibility is currently being discharged and, moreover, demonstrates that 1974 has seen a marked acceleration in implementing that programme. We have expressed our readiness to assist in particular by providing training facilities, by technical advice and, where appropriate, by the secondment of specialist personnel.
10
/The Role
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