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Following is the transcript of the Financial Secretary, Mr Henry Tang, at a media standup session on the appointments to the Commission on Poverty at the Legislative Council this (January 27) evening:

Financial Secretary: The Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address the setting up of a Commission on Poverty. The Government today announced the members of this committee. It comprises 18 non-official members and six official members. We will begin our work as soon as possible. We hope that through engagement and active participation of the public, we will be able to help those in need to help themselves and to give them the best support we can.

Reporter: Why is that the (Legislative Council) social welfare representative is not one of the members?

Financial Secretary: Because poverty alleviation is not just the work of the social welfare (sector). Poverty alleviation involves the work of education - we want to educate people so that they are able to maximise the social mobility that Hong Kong society offered to them. It also involves the labour sector because through employment, they will be able to help themselves the best. Also, there are whole hosts of other questions such as health and medical services. So, the members that we have appointed come from all sectors of the community and they are either very well-respected in their field for their professional expertise or they represented grass-roots interests.

Reporter: But it is a very glaring absence?

Financial Secretary: No. There is an education representative in the Legislative Council, Mr Cheung Man-kwong, who is not on the list. And there is a health services member of the Legislative Council who is not on the list. And there are a number of labour representatives in the Legislative Council who are not on the list.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion.)

Ends/Thursday, January 27, 2005

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