HC Deb 08 February 1979 vol 962 cc284-5W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the visit by his right hon. Friend the Minister for the Disabled to Hong Kong during the Christmas Recess.

Mr. Alfred Morris

The visit enabled me to study the new facilities for disabled people there and to review the structure and extent of service and cash provision with His Excellency the Governor and senior members of the Government, with unofficial members of Executive and Legislative Councils and with the voluntary organisations principally concerned. I was also able to discuss the future work of the World Planning Group, which under my chairmanship is preparing a "Charter for the 1980s" for the world's disabled.

I welcome this opportunity to pay warm tribute to the enthusiasm and dedication of the providers of help for the disabled in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. In particular, I was impressed by the outstanding work and leadership of Dr. the Hon. Harry Fang whose work as Vice-President of Rehabilitation International is well known to my hon. Friend.

As in the United Kingdom, there is much more to be done in Hong Kong to extend provision for disabled people, yet there is now a much greater public awareness of their problems and a clear resolve further to improve their well-being and status.

In keeping with requests made to me during the visit, my Department is making detailed information available about provision for disabled people in the United Kingdom.

My hon. Friend may like to know that my visits to facilities and my meetings with organisations included the following:

  1. 1. Visit to Ebenezer Schol for the Blind
  2. 2. Visit to Lions Morninghill School for the Mentally Handicapped
  3. 3. Visit to Yau Ma Tei Polyclinic
  4. 4. Visit to Po Leung Kuk centres for disadvantaged and mentally handicapped children
  5. 5. Visit to Hei Ling Chau Drug Addiction Treatment Centre
  6. 6. Visit to Luk Yeun Sheltered Workshop and Home for the elderly
  7. 7. Visit to Pokfulam Vocational Training Centre
  8. 8. Visit to Physically Handicapped Able Bodied (PHAB) Centre
  9. 9. Visit to Sir David Trench Medical Rehabilitation Centre
  10. 10. Visit to Special Education Services Centre
  11. 11. Visit to British Service Families
  12. 12. Meeting with UMELCO
  13. 13. Meeting with Council of Social Service
  14. 14. Meeting with Rehabilitation Development Co-ordinating Committee
  15. 15. Meeting with Joint Committee for the Physically and Mentally Handicapped.

Back to
Forward to