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Report from Queen 's Park By The Hon. George Ashe, MPP (PC - Durham West) Ontario Minister of Revenue The tern "social services" is often associated with the maintenance of a specific standard of living, and reference to such services encompasses a wide range·of programs. Government-sponsored social benefits span our entire life cycle from birth to death, and may include educational, oc- cupational, health and income protection progràms. This week, I would like to discuss the direction in which the provincial governrent is moving in an ef- fort to meet the perceived needs of ail Ontarians with regard to the provision of social services. As a result of public expectations, the Ontario government has witnessed a growing involvement in the social policy field. Approximately two-thirds of fiscal spending supports the variety of social pro- granis which are availabie in tis province. The current problem, which we are all facing, is the allocation of finite financial resources to ever- increasing demands which are placed on the social service agencies. Present provincial involvement in the social ser- vice delivery system is being closely scrutinized by the Ontario Government to determine the role which will be assumed in the future. The Ministry of Community and Social Services à announced the transfer of the administration of the Family Benefits Assistance program to the local level. This decision should reduce the confusion and costly duplication of service which has been caused a by tw administrative structures delivering bene- fits to essentiaüy the same target groupe. The trend toward de-institutionalization has aiso been considered by the Ministry ofCommunity and Social Services and a recent decision announced whlch will affect a number of residents in tis Ministry's institutions for the developmentally han- dlcapped. The five-year plan which includes the closing of six Ministry-operatecj facilities also in- corporates the province-wide expansion of com- munity services for developmentaîly handicapped individuals. Tis proposai will enable capable resi- dents fron all Ministry-operated facilities to parti- cipate in a less institutional lifestyle. Residents from the present facilities who are unable to participate in the community living con- cept will be transferred to the facility which is most beneficial to their capabilities. Similar concerns regarding institutional care are evident in the health care syste and current discussions are centered on both thecosts and care of institutionalization. The Ministry of Health is focusing on improved hospital efficiency, community health care and the encouragement of individual responsibility for health maintenance. In 1982, a review of health care services for the erdery was initiated to encourage the sharing of responsibility for the eideriy- among health care professionals, families and community agencies. In generai, Ontario's social poiicy is moving away fron institutional care and toward community inte- gration.cFuture policy decisions will identify fun- ding of community support services to encourage community and individual seif-sufficiency. In this period of economic restraint, the provision of social service benefits, like everything else that we take for granted, has its price. Your government is concerned about the welfare tf each and every Ontarian. However, policies in the 1980's may have to re-aign the present relation- ship between the government and other sectors of society to meet new social realities. The stage is set for a more co-ordinated approach to social services with roles for individuais, famulies and private enterprises as well as for the govern- ment. Cubs means fun *i Whitby February is Baden Powell month, a ture whencubsand scouts across Canada pay tri- bute to the foundertf their organization. I jolned cubes be- cause I like the camps and sports. And because of the friends ship. By Sandy Crawford. It's the sports we play and the knots we do. I like foot hockey and soccer and other sports. I like the knots we do. I like camp we fool around and we sleep like a light. By Joseph Slawski. The 5th Whitby "B" cubs took time last week to express what cubs means to them, and why they keep coming back. The Free Press re- I enjoy cubs be- cause you get to go to camps play games. But cubs to me is fun and excit- ing. I entered to have fun and thats what I got. By Jason Thomas. I enjoy cubs be- cause we play games we go camp- ing we do art and it is fun plus I like ail the teachers they are really fun. I like cubs. By Brad Thomson. ceived many letters from local boys, but could unfortunately print only a few. Their reasons for joiningTeubs are about as varied as I joined cubs be- cause it was excit- ing. Our pack is the best pack in Whitby because we have more camps and games even than the girl scouts and pathfinders. We earn lots of badges and stars especially at camps. Our lead- ers are all nice and kind. That's why I like camp. By Adam Johnston. their spelling df the word (cuds, cubes and Kubs), but ail agree cubs means fun. The reason I join- ed cubs is well, I wanted something to do with my time. As soon as I joined I knew it was going to be good. The first year was realy good! The second year I became a sixer and we do really neat stuff and thats why I joined cubs. By Brandon Caisse. EAST END, QUALITY M EATS & DELICATESSEN Serving you personally with the f inest, & f reshest meat. Fondue meat, bacon rolls, spiced beef, pork roasts. Large variety of cold cuts & cheese party platters. Freezer beef or pork. We make our own home made sausage. Located in the Blair Park Plaza 17 Lupin Dr. Whitby 668-4782 Closed Mondays WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 2,1983, PAGE 19 Banks need improvmg By W. ROGER WORTH Syndicated Columnist Although the marks were mediocre, the note on the bottom of the report , cards on Canada's major banks, compiled from informa- tion provided by 10,000 people operating small businesses, is telling. That note: there's much room for improvement. The message comes from the 64,000 mem- bers of the Canadian Federation of Indepen- dent Business. In a recently released com- prehensive study on small business banking in Canada, together with a membership sur- vey that for the first tue rates the major iending institutions, the Federation is attempt- ing to push the bankers into providing better service to the sector. Among the banks, the Royal topped the nation- al list with a 76.9 per cent satisfaction rating froni the 10,000 respond- ents, followed by the Commerce and Toronto- Dominion at 72 per cent, the Bank of Nova Scotia at 70 per cent and the Bank ef Montreal at 65 per cent. But the real surprise was the overaîl winner: the entrepreneurs operating small and medium-sized enter- prises gave co-opera- tives and credit unions a massive 85 per cent satisfaction rating. Nevertheless, with a quarter of the small and medium-sized business- es expressing dissatis- faction with the bank- ers, it is evident there is room for improvement in several areas. Clearly, one of these is loan officer and management training, or the lack of it. "A great many bank Joan officers have in- sufficient training in business finance, rela- tive tothe training re- ceived by lending offic- ers in foreign coun- tries," claims Federation Vice-Presi- dent Patricia Johnston. "A lot of our bankers just don't understand the problems faced by their small business customers." She points out that 40 She pintsout tat_4 per cent or more of U.S. banks have at least one officer designated for small business iending, and in The Netherlands, the argest small busi- ness bank keeps lending officers in the same branch for a minimum of four years to main- tain links with smail business clients. "These are the kind of things Canadian banks have been reluctant to introduce," says John- ston. "It's time they did." ASKING ONLY $54,900 - 3 bedroom bungalow semi, large full basement with rec room and 4th bedroom; to vIew cali Rita Nicholas, 668-6171. Canada-wide ioIQOOn real estate service. We took the challenge. 3Y" air space between panels for maximum protection. 2 PLUS 2 TWIN SLIDING WINDOW No easy task. By using the most advanced technology available (often our own), skill, imagination and determination we are proud to announce the creation of the toughest, no-nonsense weather beatin' windows ever made! What's more, we guarantee them - for twenty years! BUY NOW & SAVE WHITBY ALUMINUM Home Improvement Centre 900 HOPKINS STREET. UNIT #3 WHITBV 686-1853