The estimated $3.52 billion recurrent spending on rehabilitation services in 2010-11 marks an 8.2% rise on the $3.26 billion revised estimate in 2009-10, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung says.

Attending the Hong Chi Association 45th Anniversary today, having dinner with 145 residents from Tai Po & North District, he said extra funding will be allocated to various rehabilitation services, medical social services and Rehabuses.

The forward-looking measures on residential care and community support services for the disabled announced in the budget, he said, demonstrate the Government's determination in helping these people and their carers raise their quality of life.

Altogether 939 extra subvented residential care places will be provided in the next two years, amounting to 14% of the 6,700-plus disabled people on the waiting list. A pilot bought-place scheme to encourage private care-home operators to improve their service quality will be introduced in support of the licensing scheme to be implemented and to increase the supply of residential-care places.

"We will break new ground and launch a pilot scheme on home-based nursing care and rehabilitation training with an allocation of $163 million from the Lotteries Fund. We will start first with Kwun Tong and Tuen Mun, where there are more persons with severe disabilities on the waitlist for residential care.

"This three-year pilot will save altogether 540 persons with disabilities plus their carers the hassle of travelling to and from district centres for services - a big leap forward in providing tailor-made community care by professional care workers, therapists and nurses."

On employment, Mr Cheung said 160 extra day-training and 100 extra vocational rehabilitation services places will be provided. Coupled with the earmarked recurrent funding, about 290 day-training and 420 vocational rehabilitation services places will be available in 2010-11.