divided into three areas, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories and administered by three maintenance surveyors assisted by depot technical officers each working from a depot situated in his area, with a supporting supervisory staff of clerks of works and foremen, together with clerical staff. Approval has been given for the creation of a fourth depot which will deal solely with R.N. and R.A.F. establishments but again lack of staff has precluded this from being put into operation. Direct labour is employed in the execution of some of the work on Services establishments. The Branch is also responsible for roads, water supplies, sewage disposal and playing fields within military areas.
4.27 Scheduled maintenance programmes were carried out on Government buildings and leased buildings, and day-to-day maintenance of buildings and redecoration of quarters was carried out as necessary. Total expenditure on this work amounted to $25,350,000.00. Similar work was carried out on Services establishments and the portion carried out by contract amounted to $18,250,000.00.
4.28 A total of 202 major and 1,400 minor items of alterations, additions or improvements to Government buildings were executed at a cost of $2,500,000.00. Work of a similar nature carried out in Services establishments amounted to $4,325,000.00.
4.29 Works were executed by three triennial building maintenance contracts, twenty-three annual/triennial specialist contracts and several triennial cleaning contracts.
4.30 Other items of work undertaken by the Maintenance Branch included minor security and defence works and items for other departments ordered on the maintenance Contracts and amounted in all to some $5,000,000.00. Surveys and reports were made on several properties acquired by Government on lease. Regular inspections were made, by the building supervisor and his staff, of those offices and non-departmental quarters for whose cleaning and general management the Maintenance Branch is responsible.
NEW WORKS
4.31 The following paragraphs briefly describe some of the Architectural Office projects which were completed or which were under construction during the year under review. Full lists of such projects costing more than $50,000.00 each are given at Appendices K and L.
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