Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced today that the Government will increase by 1,000 the number of vouchers under two elderly care service schemes in the next fiscal year.

Delivering his 2025-26 Budget, Mr Chan said the number of vouchers under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly will increase to 6,000 in total, while the total number of vouchers under the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly will rise to 12,000.

The two schemes will involve annual expenditure of about $1,710 million and $900 million respectively.

Noting that the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect next January, Mr Chan said the Government will provide an additional $186 million annually to increase emergency places for residential childcare and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families.

The Government will also support people with disabilities by setting up 14 Integrated Community Rehabilitation Centres across the city in phases to provide those who require medium to high level care with flexible and integrated community support services through a case management approach.

In addition, 1,280 additional day community rehabilitation and home care service places will be provided for people with disabilities, involving about $160 million in additional annual expenditure.

Mr Chan added that starting from the third quarter, the Government will regularise the Pilot Project on Enhancing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to provide training to people with disabilities, with an annual expenditure of about $100 million, benefitting some 10,000 people.

On women’s development, the finance chief said a two‑year pilot mentorship programme will be launched, pairing female university students with female mentors to promote women’s workplace development.

Mr Chan also outlined that the Government is progressively implementing and completing the 16 works projects, entailing total expenditure of about $190 billion, under the First Hospital Development Plan.

He said the Government will review the distribution, scale and priority of projects under the Second Hospital Development Plan.

Furthermore, the outcome of a review on the structure and levels of subsidisation for public healthcare will be announced this year.

Separately, the Financial Secretary acknowledged public concerns about the problem of illegal basketball betting in Hong Kong in recent years, adding the that turnover of illegal basketball betting reached $70 to $90 billion last year according to the Jockey Club’s latest assessment.

He said the Government will explore regulating basketball betting activities and invite the Jockey Club to submit a proposal.