In March 1998, Martine Aubry, France's Minister for
Employment and Solidarity presented a three-year, FRF 50 billion plan to prevent
and combat social exclusion. The measures include the introduction of a
universal healthcare coverage scheme, which will require consultation of the
social partners.
The Government has set out four areas of action to combat and prevent social
exclusion: the guarantee of access to basic rights; the prevention of exclusion;
the need to provide for emergency social situations; and the development of
cooperation between all the parties involved.
One part of the programme consists of increasing current funding for
schemes promoting social integration through employment. The following
measures aimed at young people will be expanded: work/training programmes;
support in finding long-term, stable employment; and the expansion of the
"jobs for youth" (emplois-jeunes) programme to include those
living in especially poor areas. Existing schemes for adults are to be
strengthened by further measures
Access to housing will be made easier. A tax on vacant housing will be
introduced in 1999, while the procedures governing the allocation of social
housing will be simplified. An offer of alternative accommodation will have
to be made before an eviction order can be given.
A separate law regulating access to care services will add further weight
to these guarantees. A new universal healthcare coverage scheme will enable
those individuals and their families not covered under a specific
job-related system to be assimilated into the general social security
scheme. The most needy will have access to additional cover and will be
exempt from up-front payment of medical charges.
As previously announced by the Prime Minister, minimum welfare benefits
are to be reviewed and index-linked to the cost of living. Even if a person
finds a second income, these minimum benefits will be paid in their entirety
for the first three months and gradually reduced thereafter. Procedures for
handling excessive debt burdens are also to be improved.
The Government has reiterated its commitment to tackling illiteracy.
Financial support in this area is to be trebled and companies and employers'
associations will be encouraged to negotiate agreements on this matter.
A further law governing the rights of the citizen will be introduced. In
particular, it will give homeless people access to a national identity card
and the opportunity of having a recognised address through associations
officially approved by local authorities. They will thus have the
opportunity of appearing on the electoral roll and exercising their right to
vote.
Care mechanisms - day care for homeless people and a mobile emergency
service (SAMU social) specifically for the
homeless and based on the same model as regular mobile accident units - will
be extended to those areas of the country where they do not at present
exist.
Care for socially excluded people is also to be provided by the
refurbishment of some accommodation centres - 15,000 beds - and Centres for
Accommodation and Social Reintegration (Centres
d'hébergement et de réadaptation sociale, CHRS)
- currently 33,000 beds. Further measures will be taken to ensure that
families are not split up, as often happens now, when they enter these
centres.
Living conditions in these centres will be improved to ensure the safety
and health of occupants.
An "observatory" or watchdog organisation will be set up to
provide data on poverty and exclusion and also to keep up-to-date
information on local initiatives in this area.
The hiring and training of social workers will be expanded.
A ministerial interdepartmental commission will oversee the implementation
of the anti-exclusion programme as a whole.
The programme will receive major financial support. The Minister announced
funding amounting to FRF 51.4 billion for 1998, 1999 and 2000. However, this sum
will not come entirely from Government funds. The European
Social Fund, local authorities and social welfare agencies will
contribute FRF 13 billion. Nevertheless, the creation of a universal healthcare
system - the cost of which is put at FRF 5 billion - requires consultation with
trade unions and employers in order to fix the terms and conditions for its
implementation. The proposed programme incorporates some measures - in
particular the "jobs for youth" scheme and assisted contracts
(contrats aidés) - for which some funds have already been earmarked.
