ENG-1970 — Page 172

SOCIAL WELFARE

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operates through five main divisions: the Group and Community Work Division, which aims at the development of responsible citizenship; the Family Services Division, which is responsible for a wide range of social welfare services to help individuals and families; the Probation and Correction Division, which provides probation services in the courts and rehabilitation in its correctional institutions for young offenders; the Public Assistance Division, which is responsible for the administration of the public assistance scheme; and the Training Section, which is increasingly developing in-service training, not only for the staff of the department but also for voluntary welfare organisations. In addition the section provides field-work placements for the two universities.

The Government is advised on all matters of social welfare policy and on applications from voluntary welfare organisations for sub- ventions by a Social Welfare Advisory Committee. This is a com- mittee appointed by the Governor, consisting of leading unofficials and chaired by the Director of Social Welfare.

Co-ordination of work in the social welfare field is achieved by the department maintaining close contact and co-operation with the many voluntary welfare organisations. Appendix 46 lists 89 voluntary welfare organisations which are affiliated to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and 64 member organisations of the Community Chest of Hong Kong, which raised some $7.2 million in aid of the work of its member organisations during the year.

[1]

Apart from increased spending for the maintenance of existing services and the establishment of new capital projects generally associated with normal progress, there have also been significant new developments. These include the extension of services into the newer resettlement communities through the establishment of estate welfare buildings (the sixth building was opened in Ngau Tau Kok in November); the District Community Officer scheme, and the introduction of an extended public assistance scheme in which Government will become responsible for cash grants follow- ing an eligibility criteria which is more liberal than at present. It is estimated that the new scheme will cost HK$20 million for the first year of operation and will initially benefit some 15,000 families.