SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT :
on
29
Sir, my predecessor's reply
October 1986 refers only to a rough guess
It was
of an earlier stage of 1989-90 financial year.
only a rough guess. At
that
time the
project
was
in Category C of
the
Public
Works
Programme;
in other words, approval in principle only.
There was no slippage.
we
have
Since that time,
been actively looking into the detailed
designs and the detailed implications of the project and,
as I said in the main reply, the consultants were
only
and
appointed last year to finalise the planning, design construction.
What is now causing us some concern,
some concern, as I said just now,
is the increasing costs of the project and the limited
funds available in the overall Public Works Programme
construct
to projects of this kind. But, as I said, subject to this
being cost-effective, and subject to funds being made
available,
I
would
definitely
wish
to proceed with it as early as I can, that is, by early
1991.
lc.
MR. PETER POON:
Sir, I think it would be false economy
as an excuse
to use the availability of funds to delay the project
year after year because if we delay further, there will
be more excuse for asking for more funds. The traffic
situation in Mid-Levels
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