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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As far as practicable, the Social Welfare Department tries to ensure that the time required for investigation of each compassionate case does not normally exceed two weeks, though additional time may be required if a person has to be referred to a clinic for medical report to satisfy one of the eligibility criteria. An additional two weeks is required for processing the recommendations and obtaining the necessary approval. Thus in the normal course of events a recommendation should have been forwarded to the Resettlement Department within a month. In specific cases delay may additionally arise from such causes as the supply of inaccurate or inadequate addresses, difficulty in attending for interview at an early date, particularly if the client is living in a remote area, difficulty in obtaining confirmation of relevant facts, or the statement of preferences that are hard to meet.
As I have said, there is not, in my opinion, generally any overriding urgency about these cases, which would justify our giving priority to them over other cases referred to the Department, unless the person is actually at the time homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. There are however some cases, which are connected with eviction from premises, where joint action by both the Social Welfare and Resettlement departments is taken immediately. Where necessary, interim measures are taken to provide help to persons in need, and this may include the provision of accommodation in a transit area.
As the question has been generally phrased I have had to reply in fairly general terms. Without an extensive and detailed enquiry, I cannot say how often we fail to keep within our aim of one month, or by how wide a margin. I am aware that there may be specific cases that Mrs. ELLIOTT has in mind where action has for a variety of reasons taken longer than the periods I have mentioned, though I should be surprised and indeed disturbed if there were any which had taken several months. I shall naturally be glad to investigate any cases of apparently excessive delay if Mrs. ELLIOTT would like to let me have details of them; in the meantime I would reiterate that it is our aim to investigate cases expeditiously and wherever possible to secure a result within a month and in urgent cases earlier than that. Perhaps I could take this opportunity to mention that the number of families recommended for compassionate resettlement by the Social Welfare Department alone in December 1967 was 465, which represents an increase of 40% over the number recommended in 1966, and indicates that the general policy for compassionate resettlement is being progressively implemented in the interest of better and quicker service to people in need.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As the above remarks relate to domestic resettlement, but in their essentials they apply generally to shop resettlement also, though in that case we have also to bear in mind that since the number of shops available is very small the criteria are consequently more stringent, so that investigation may—and probably does—take longer than in the case of domestic resettlement.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, may I ask through you if the Director of Social Welfare would clarify whether a person who already possesses a card showing that he has T.B. would necessarily have to go through the clinical investigation again?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: I'm afraid I can't answer that question, but I will certainly undertake to find out what the practice is. On the face of it, it would appear that if they have a card it would not be necessary, but I will find out about that.
MRS. ELLIOTT: The Director referred to specific cases and emergencies. May I ask if under social welfare regulations a widow whose husband has recently been killed in a construction accident, and who has five children under the age of twelve and whose shop, upon which she depended to some extent (or rather half-starved on, I should say), if the shop is demolished by the Resettlement Department, would that be considered an emergency?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: Sir, I am not quite sure if I'm being asked a hypothetical question or not; certainly not a question I could answer at the moment. Is this an actual case?
MRS. ELLIOTT: It is an actual case.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: If Mrs. ELLIOTT would like to give me details about this, I will look into this.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, although this is an actual case, I'm afraid I often have to tell my clients to wait rather longer for a social welfare case than any other department. May I ask the Director through you if he has any emergency section to which this kind of case can be sent?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: I am sorry, I am not clear what kind of case Mrs. ELLIOTT is asking me about when she talks about an emergency section. All cases come into our district offices and they are dealt with as quickly as possible; if there are apparently especially urgent factors in them, they will be dealt with more expeditiously, taken
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As far as practicable, the Social Welfare Department tries to ensure that the time required for investigation of each compassionate case does not normally exceed two weeks, though additional time may be required if a person has to be referred to a clinic for medical report to satisfy one of the eligibility criteria. An additional two weeks is required for processing the recommendations and obtaining the necessary approval. Thus in the normal course of events a recommendation should have been forwarded to the Resettlement Department within a month. In specific cases delay may additionally arise from such causes as the supply of inaccurate or inadequate addresses, difficulty in attending for interview at an early date, particularly if the client is living in a remote area, difficulty in obtaining confirmation of relevant facts, or the statement of prefer- ences that are hard to meet.
As I have said, there is not, in my opinion, generally any overriding urgency about these cases, which would justify our giving priority to them over other cases referred to the Department, unless the person is actually at the time homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. There are however some cases, which are connected with eviction from premises, where joint action by both the Social Welfare and Resettlement departments is taken im- mediately. Where necessary, interim measures are taken to provide help to persons in need, and this may include the provision of accommodation in a transit area.
As the question has been generally phrased I have had to reply in fairly general terms. Without an extensive and detailed enquiry, I cannot say how often we fail to keep within our aim of one month, or by how wide a margin. I am aware that there may be specific cases that Mrs. ELLIOTT has in mind where action has for a variety of reasons taken longer than the periods I have mentioned, though I should be surprised and indeed disturbed if there were any which had taken several months. I shall naturally be glad to investigate any cases of apparently excessive delay if Mrs. ELLIOTT would like to let me have details of them; in the meantime I would reiterate that it is our aim to investigate cases expeditiously and wherever possible to secure a result within a month and in urgent cases earlier than that. Perhaps I could take this opportunity to mention that the number of families recommended for compassionate re- settlement by the Social Welfare Department alone in December 1967 was 465, which represents an increase of 40% over the number recommended in 1966, and indicates
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
451
that the general policy for compassionate resettlement is being progressively implemented in the interest of better and quicker service to people in need.
The above remarks relate to domestic resettlement, but in their essentials they apply generally to shop resettlement also, though in that case we have also to bear in mind that since the number of shops available is very small the criteria are consequently more stringent, so that investigation may -and probably does take longer than in the case of domestic resettlement.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman I have several supplementaries, but first of all may I ask through you if the Director of Social Welfare would clarify whether a person who already possesses a card showing that he has T.B. would necessarily have to go through the clinical investigation again?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: -I'm afraid I can't answer that question, but I will certainly undertake to find out what the practice is. On the face of it it would appear that if they have a card it would not be necessary, but I will find out about that.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-The Director referred to specific cases and emer- gencies. May I ask if under social welfare regulations a widow whose husband has recently been killed in a construction accident, and who has five children under the age of twelve and whose shop upon which she depended to some extent (or rather half-starved on I should say) if the shop is demolished by the Resettlement Department would that be considered an emergency?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Sir, I am not quite sure if I'm being asked a hypothetical question or not; certainly not a question I could answer at the moment. Is this an actual case?
MRS. ELLIOTT: It is an actual case.
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-If Mrs. ELLIOTT would like to give me details about this I will look into this.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, although this is an actual case I'm afraid I often have to tell my clients to wait rather longer for a social welfare case than any other department. May I ask the Director through you if he has any emergency section to which this kind of case can be sent?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-I am sorry, I am not clear what kind of case Mrs. ELLIOTT is asking me about when she talks about an emergency section. All cases come into our district offices and they are dealt with as quickly as possible-if there are apparently especially urgent factors in them they will be dealt with more expeditiously, taken
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