and provides for a nucleus of staff strategically placed to attend to reports of damage or imminent danger. Fortunately no typhoon affected the Colony during the year and it did not become necessary to activate this organization.
5.08. A senior member of the Office was appointed chairman of the decorations committee and member of the executive committee formed to plan and organize the first Festival of Hong Kong. This entailed a considerable amount of work in the preparation and carrying out of designs for the decoration of the Colony.
5.09. The posts of Government Building Surveyor, and Assistant Government Building Surveyor, were re-titled Principal Government Building Surveyor, and Government Building Surveyor respectively in February 1970, in line with other similar senior posts in the Department.
Hong Kong Division Chief Building Surveyor À. L. AYLMER, A.R.I.B.A.
GENERAL DIVISIONS
Kowloon DivisionChief Building Surveyor: G. L. LOWMAN, A.R.I.C.S.
J. C. HOWLETT, A.R.I.B.A.
(Acting) New Territories Division
Chief Building Surveyor: S. C. CHEN, C.Eng.,
M.I.Struct.E.
D. H. PARSONS, F.R.I.C.S.
(Acting)
5.10. The principal functions of the general divisions are to examine and approve all proposals for private building and private street works; to grant consent to commence building work; to carry out supervisory inspections during construction; and to inspect and issue occupation permits on completion.
5.11. A total of 402 buildings were certified for occupation. The declared capital cost of these buildings was $410 million, showing a decrease of about 4% compared with that for the previous year. This represents the end result of the declining trend in building activity over the previous few years.
5.12. The conditions of stability and general prosperity which prevailed throughout the year brought about an anticipated revival of interest and confidence in the real estate field and with it a keen demand for new accommodation of all descriptions, particularly industrial, domestic and hotel accommodation. Vacant premises were quickly occupied and renewed efforts made to complete buildings on which progress had hitherto been suspended or slowed. Associated with this
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