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My main comment is that you seem to have drawn up for your department a very ambitious programme. You will no doubt correct me if I am wrong in any particular but as I understand it, the main points of this programme are as follows: in the field of capital development there are four major works, namely the new abattoir, one major and very technical departmental building in Hong Kong, one major building in Kowloon, and the new Colonial Cemetery at Mount Collinson. The construction of a modern swimming pool at Victoria Park is another very big new project which is already under way, and which I understand will be completed during the coming financial year. It will be for us to ensure the early completion of this much-needed recreational amenity for the beneficial use of the general public. I believe also that there is good prospect of space being made available for new District Health Offices in more than one proposed new Government building; your proposals for development of new parks and playgrounds will represent, if carried out, more progress in one year than has so far been carried out in any two years since the war; in the field of staff expansion you are proposing to recruit and train nearly 50 probationer health inspectors as well as to carry out a considerable expansion in the more subordinate grades in order to achieve a better balance between supervisory and labouring staff. At the same time there is to be mechanization on quite a large scale of one section of the conservancy service; six of your most promising officers are to be released for advanced training in the United Kingdom; some of your most experienced colleagues are to retire; and you yourself are, I gather, to be away from the Colony for nearly half of the financial year in which all this is to be done.
I certainly do not wish to criticize any of the individual projects or proposals to which it is suggested that we should devote our resources during the coming financial year. Indeed many of them are obviously long overdue. The replacement of our departmental buildings and installations would no doubt have been started much sooner had not other even more urgent post-war commitments had to be given priority; the expansion of the health inspectorate is also urgently needed, and in general we must no doubt now face the fact that there has been a substantial and apparently permanent increase in the urban population, an increase which our urban services must be developed to deal with. But I would like to ask for your assurance, Sir, that the carrying out of a programme of the magnitude reflected in the paper now before us will be within the capacity of the staff available. The planning of all these works and the organization of the proposed staff increases and other developments will surely not be an easy task. In facing this task I have no doubt that you and your colleagues will enjoy the fullest support from the Council: I hope you can assure us that, given such support, and given the funds, your department can carry out all the planning and organization and other work envisaged in the draft Estimates and foreshadowed in the paper tabled in Council today.
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Sir, I would like to conclude these few general remarks by saying that in my capacity of member of this Council I give all the proposals of the Estimates Select Committee my fullest support.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, I do not intend on this occasion to go into the estimates in detail but I would like to take this opportunity to express my satisfaction with the changed approach to our estimates which you mentioned earlier this year in the course of my own Motion in respect to financing of the Urban Services. I refer to the fact that in future Government has informed this Council that before any matter is cut out of our estimates it will be referred back to us for our further consideration and comments. A practical example of this occurred a few weeks ago when it was proposed to cut out certain of our estimates in respect to increasing the number of malaria and other pest control teams. We raised the strongest possible objection to these proposals of Government, because we felt that our plans represented the minimum needed to ensure the protection of the public health in that respect, and I am happy to say we have at last been listened to and it appears that we have succeeded in having these items retained in the Colony's estimates. without hesitation that had it not been for the pressure exerted by the Reform Club Members who have always placed public health above all else on this Council and have insisted on independent financing for this Council because of the manner in which our estimates were being slashed in previous years to a degree which in our view endangered the public health of the community, we would not have achieved the position that this Council holds today in respect to its own estimates. The Council is a representative and highly responsible body: we do not lightly commit Government to increased expenditure; but until Elected
I say
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