Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1966-1967 — Page 8

recognizing many needs, knew also that some of the resources-notably skilled and trained personnel-to meet those needs, just could not be developed overnight, and who knew also that before significant advances could be made there must first be a reassessment of machinery and methods of operating and a deliberate attempt to determine priorities and plan methodically for the expansion of services over the next few

years.

3. It has, in fact, been generally a year rather of consolidation and of planning for the future than of increased provision for the present. This is reflected in one way in the state of the Lotteries Fund which was established to promote the development of social welfare services. The amount of money actually expended from the Fund up to the 31st March 1967 was $3,098,455.72, but the amount committed was very much greater than that, because it takes time to spend money. At the beginning of the year in question a total of $6,926,200.00 had been committed. During the year grants totalling $1,763,905.00 were recom- mended for approval by the legislature, and the objects covered by such grants had a wide spread. Young people will benefit directly from such items as a Social Centre, a Youth Centre and improved boarding facilities at the Aberdeen Technical School and indirectly from the important project for the development of a training centre for nursery workers and youth leaders. Services to the handicapped will be augmented by such items as the extension to the advanced training centre for the blind, a hostel for physically handicapped children and a water supply on Hay Ling Chau. The campaign to combat narcotics addiction receives further support from the financing of a film to be made by the Information Services Department and a feasibility survey on community attitude towards drug addiction. One major scheme for which funds had been committed before the year under review and which reached the stage of implementation during the year was the Urban Family Life Study, a large-scale research project formally inaugurated on 1st July 1966 and carried out by the Chinese University Social Survey Centre on behalf of the Council of Social Service and the Social Welfare Department. But even here completion lies well in the future and, valuable and important though the results are likely to be, we shall have to wait until 1969 to see them.

4. Meantime planning for the future has occupied a considerable and necessary part of our activity for the year. A major planning study has been in progress all year in collaboration with the Council of Social

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