E/C.12/1/Add.8 page 4 14. The Committee expresses its concern that the major cuts in social security and other welfare expenditures have reduced the disposable incomes of single parents and young families with children, have affected the situation of persons without regular income under the Sickness Insurance Act, and have led to the cessation of adjustments to pensions and unemployment benefits. 15. The Committee expresses its concern at reports according to which members of the Roma minority have been discriminated against when decisions have been taken by some authorities in respect of the allocation of publicly-owned dwellings. 16. The Committee regrets the lack of official statistical data and other information with regard to problems such as domestic violence, child abuse, child pornography, child and adolescent suicide and alcohol abuse, the latter also affecting children and adolescents, which prevents both the authorities and the Committee from ascertaining the real extent of these problems. 17. The Committee expresses its concern at the recent increase in the school dropout rate, which particularly affects children from economically disadvantaged groups and children belonging to minorities. E. Suggestions and recommendations 18. The Committee recommends that specifically targeted training programmes be launched by the authorities to increase the awareness of judges and lawyers of the rights enshrined in the Covenant. 19. The Committee recommends that the Government intensify its efforts to ensure that equality between men and women, in particular with regard to employment and salary matters, is effective in practice. 20. The Committee urges that consideration be given to enacting legislation providing for minimum wages, and their periodical adjustment, so that protection be ensured also to workers who are not protected by sectoral collective agreements. 21. The Committee encourages the Government to take adequate measures to ensure that the reduction of the budgetary allocations for social welfare programmes does not result in the violation of the State party’s obligations under the Covenant. The Committee particularly lays emphasis on the need to protect the rights of socially vulnerable groups, such as young families with children, refugees and elderly or unemployed persons.