TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 179

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23.

There are many areas of social services in which I

fear that standardised cost arrangements will never really be

practicable. Subvented hospitals vary greatly in size, and

in the types of services and facilities provided; Dr. Ip

herself pointed out some of these differences, which would

make it very difficult to agree on standardised costs for

subvented medical services.

24.

Dr. Ip also proposed that agencies should be

allowed to raise their own funds to provide a better service

than the agreed standard. This is of course possible under

the present social welfare subvention system; and we were

able some years ago to abolish the unfortunate "see-saw"

effect, which had resulted in money raised by the agencies

themselves being deducted from their subventions.

25.

The whole question of subvention arrangements is

clearly a subject which needs further study, and I would

like to thank Dr. Ip for her thoughtful contribution to the

discussion.

26.

Sir, I support the motion.

M