TNAG-0740-FCO40-944-Quarterly-progress-reports-from-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 152

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CONFIDENTIAL #

CONFIDENTIAL #

Subject

Review of the Welfare Class.

Child Care Centres Ordinance and Regulations

33. Working Party on

園

Provision of Social Welfare Services and

Subvention Administration

Purpose

To process the recommenda tions of the working party set up to review the structure of the depart- mental grades and to assess their policy implications.

To review and relax where necessary the standards laid down by this legislation and to ensure that the number of child care places is not adversely affected by the implementation of this legislation.

To review the roles of Government and voluntary agencies in the provision of social services, and to

recommend future arrange- ments for allocating subventions to voluntary · agencies and to review the scope and management of the Lotteries Fund.

Progress made and present position

The Working Party on the Review of the Welfare Class submitted its report to the Director of Social Welfare on 17th May.. The report was forwarded to the Secretary for the Civil Service on 29th June together with the Director of Social Welfare's own comments on the various recommenda- tions. The implications of the proposals are being examined by the Civil Service Branch. Drafting instructions for amending both the Child Care Centres Ordinance and the Regulations with a view to relaxing certain standards relating to staff qualifications and accommodation require- ments have been forwarded by the Director of Social Welfare. A meeting was held on 13th July with the Legal Department to consider the instructions prior to seeking drafting approval.

Social

A Government working party was appointed in July consisting of representatives of the Social Services Branch, Finance Branch and Welfare Department under the chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary for Social Services. held its first meeting on 25th July.

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It

Next quarter targets

To liaise with the resource branches in- processing the Working Party's recommendations.

To approve the drafting instructions and to process the amending legislation.

To hold further meetings of the working party.

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