15
Thursday, March 15, 1973
We have an excellent prison service which has received many
compliments from overseas experts and they have an important role to
play in reducing crime.
Yet, whereas 0.93 per cent of expenditure went in the Prisons
Department in 1970-71, in the current estimates this was reduced to
0.68 per cent.
Mr. Williams wanted an assurance that the needs of the Prisons
Department were not being denied on financial grounds.
He considered the new detention centres as money well spent,
but regretted that only persons between the ages of 14 and 18 could 'be
accommodated owing to lack of room.
He considered it wrong that older persons must be sent to prison
for six months which becomes four months with remission for good behaviour
and they would be better sent to a training centre for a longer period,
for it is deprivation of liberty which hurts a young person most.
Mr. Williams supported recreational and sports facilities as a
means for arousing local pride and would like to see multi-purpose games
halls throughout Hong Kong and a Sports Centre in Causeway Bay and in Kowloon.
He concluded by pointing out Hong Kong was swimming in money,
but we must not let our apparent wealth blind us to the immensely difficult
task ahead of getting the most out of real, and not over-plentiful,
resources.
/16