A shot in the arm for the needy and workers on low pay
POOR, OLD AND DISABLED
Set up a Community Care Fund: government will endow HK$5 billion and raise HK$5 billion from the business sector to provide support for the needy in areas not covered by the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme.
Transport support scheme to provide a monthly allowance of HK$600 per person to encourage low-income workers to stay in employment.
Increase textbook allowance to HK$1,000 and HK$500 per year for full-grant and half-grant students respectively.
Relax limit of absence from Hong Kong for the old age allowance and the disability allowance from 240 days to 305 days a year.
HK$1 billion to extend or enhance elderly health-care voucher pilot scheme.
LABOUR RIGHTS
Conduct a study on whether Hong Kong should introduce standard working hours.
Amend law to expand scope of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency to cover pay for untaken annual leave and statutory holidays.
HEALTH
Build a hospital in Tin Shui Wai; build a paediatric medical centre with 400 beds at the Kai Tak development area; redevelop Yan Chai Hospital by 2016.
Create more health-care professionals by encouraging tertiary institutions to increase student places.
Introduce a licence scheme for residential care homes for the disabled.
More services and training for autistic children.
Use more new psychiatric drugs with proven effectiveness and fewer side effects for psychiatric patients, and expand integrated mental health programme to cover whole city.
