Poverty alleviation, elderly care and support for the disadvantaged are at the top of the current-term Government’s agenda, and the livelihood measures in the 2016 Policy Address are comprehensive, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam says.
Speaking at a press conference today, Mrs Lam said the Government will launch new policies to build an age-friendly environment, such as by completing more barrier-free access facilities and adding cover to walkways.
Seats and real-time display panels will be added to bus stops, and more public facilities for seniors will be provided.
For children with special needs, the Government will setup a new child assessment centre to provide speedy diagnosis, boost support and free services.
Resources will be reserved to regularise on-site rehabilitation services for children with special needs studying in ordinary kindergartens, and the quota will be raised to 7,000.
The Community Care Fund will consider providing free cervical cancer vaccines for teenage girls, boost subsidies for disabled people and their caretakers, and launch a pilot scheme to provide services for dementia patients.
Responding to criticism that the livelihood measures in the Policy Address are piecemeal, Mrs Lam said the Government has not yet fully explained the initiatives. The Government has not avoided issues like standard working hours and retirement protection, as consultation is ongoing, she added.
