********************************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, on the Old Age Living Allowance before attending the Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting this afternoon (November 9):
Reporter: Are you confident that the proposal will be put to vote tonight?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: It is entirely up to the Legislative Council Members to decide, but I hope and further appeal to them to give us blessing today because time is running out. If approval is secured today, we still stand a chance of catching up on the implementation in March next year. Otherwise it is bound to slip and over 400,000 elderly citizens will be affected. And I really think that in the interest of so many elderly citizens in need, please approve the proposal today.
Reporter: But you need to answer queries of Legislative Council Members ...?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Twenty-three pan-democrat members have asked 33 questions. We actually received the questions on Wednesday night and have been working very hard indeed to provide comprehensive answers, and these answers will be tabled today in a some 10-page document before the meeting to facilitate the discussion this afternoon. I really hope the discussion will be meaningful, fruitful and positive, and, at the end of the day, we will get the approval of the Finance Committee tonight.
Reporter: It seems that Leung Kwok-hung will put forward 1,000 amendments ...?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: That is why I appeal to members, really in the interest of so many elderly citizens in need, to approve the proposal as quickly as possible please. But I stand ready to answer all questions today.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, November 9, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:47
NNNN
