TNAG-0607-FCO40-755-Monitoring-progress-made-on-planning-papers-on-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 158

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but as a broad indication of the soale of action envisaged over

the next 5 years: the staff engaged in the many disciplines of

rehabilitation and care of the handicapped will be more than

doubled, capital works of the order of $86 M will be undertaken,

and recurrent expenditure should rise from $122 M in 1977/78 to

#197 M in 1982/83.

115.

Some of the work done for the handicapped in Hong Kong

is second to none in the world, but, as the Green Paper showed

there is an urgent need to widen its coverage as quickly as the

training of personnel and the provision of buildings will allow.

I think that the first 5-year course we have set ourselves is

realistic and should vastly change the present situation.

crowded life of Hong Kong is hard for the handicapped, and Dr. Fang

and his committee and the various heads of departments and voluntary

agencies involved can count on the strong support of the Government

in pushing this programme forward.

The

Expansion of payments

(i) Public Assistance

116.

The Public Assistance Scheme is the main instrument by

which the Governmert ensures that all its citizens are maintained

above subsistence level. The scheme had a serious defect in that

able bodied persons between 15 and 55 were excluded, though not their

families. This defect was remedied from 1st April this year.

117.

The real value of the payments made under the scheme is

maintained by reference to a special price index. This indicates

that an increase is required, and proposals will shortly be put to

/the

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