Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung has called on NGOs to submit plans to apply for the Social Welfare Development Fund by June 30.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary dinner of the Social Workers' General Union tonight, Mr Cheung said the fund, formed with $1 billion from the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee, will support the training and capacity enhancement initiatives of NGOs so social workers can respond to ever-changing service demands swiftly.

The Government's recurrent spending on social welfare has risen from $813.6 million in 1980-81 to an estimated $39.7 billion in 2010-11.

Mr Cheung said for long-term social welfare planning, the Social Welfare Advisory Committee has launched a study on the development of a sustainable social welfare system in Hong Kong and is now collecting views until the end of July.