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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council Subcommittee to Study the Subject of Combating Poverty will conduct a duty visit to Spain (Madrid) and the United Kingdom (London and Liverpool) from September 16 to 22. The purpose of the visit is to better study the experience of the development of social enterprise in these countries.
The subcommittee was formed under the House Committee to study the subject of combating poverty. The subcommittee noted that the Spanish and UK Governments played a vital role in facilitating the development and survival of social enterprises. The subcommittee has therefore decided to pay a visit to these countries to obtain first-hand information on their strategies and measures for promoting the development of social enterprise to provide opportunities for the unemployed and disadvantaged to integrate into the job market, and to study their experience in the development of social enterprises, in particular their financing, operation and management.
During its stay in Spain, the delegation will meet senior government officials from the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs and Public Employment Service as well as the Committee of Finance and Taxes of the Lower House of the Parliament. The delegation will also visit the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind and the Spanish Business Confederation for Social Economy.
In the UK, the delegation will meet senior officials from the Office of the Third Sector under the Cabinet Office and Department for Work and Pensions as well as visit the Furniture Resource Centre Group in Liverpool.
The delegation is led by Hon Frederick Fung Kin-kee, Chairman of the Subcommittee. Other members include Hon Leung Yiu-chung, Hon Leung Kwok-hung and Dr Hon Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung.
Ends/Thursday, September 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:49
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