2.54
To summarize, 1975/76 was a year of continuing implementation of metrication. Total expenditure to the end of March 1976 was in the sum of $1,274,894.40. Offices had indicated their need for additional funds due to price escalation and due also to the 'unknown quantity' factors in their original estimates. Approval for an additional $527,000 was given, the total sum approved for metrication purposes in P.W.D. the Department being $2,142,000.
2.55
INFORMATION UNIT
Principal Information Officer: D.K. LEWIS, B.A. (Hons.) (Oxon.)
B. WALSH
(From 2.10.75)
This was the third full year of the unit's operation, and late in the year the operations of the unit were reorganised in order to launch a stepped-up programme of positive publicity for the Department's work.
2.56
Three temporary staff were employed for the last few months of the year to undertake the specific duties of producing feature articles, mainly for overseas consumption, producing publications in connection with the department's work and assisting in dealing with the growing volume of press queries. The establishment of the Unit remained at one Principal Information Officer, one Senior Information Officer, a Shorthand/Audio Typist and a Clerical Officer.
2.57 In December, 1975, a case was put to Finance Branch for the expansion of the Unit. At the beginning of January, a second Senior Information Officer was posted to the Unit, being held against the existing post of S.I.O. (Waterworks).
2.58
During the year, 98 press releases were issued on various aspects of the Department's work -- 72 of them in the last three-and-a-half months of the year, following the reorganisation of the Unit. Eleven of the 15 major features produced by the Unit during the year were also produced in this period. All were widely used both locally and overseas.
2.59 As a result of the increased output of the Unit, there was a marked increase in the number of media enquiries to be handled by its staff. On average, about 10 sets of multiple questions were received each day, together with a large number of minor queries and requests for facilities and interviews.
2.60 Full-scale media visits were arranged to such projects as High Island and the Lok On Pai Desalter, as well as news-oriented visits such as that to see the Architectural Office's accelerated building programme at Hing Wah Estate following the Aldrich Bay fire in February.
2.61
In the latter months of the year, the Unit also prepared comprehensive full-colour booklets on each of the three New Towns in conjunction
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