:
- 5 -
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1975
AND IF HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD THE 150 ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS NEEDED AT $5 MILLION APIECE, +1S IT NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE USE OF THE SPARE CAPACITY OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR THE PROVISION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES?+ HE ALSO ASKED IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF EACH CLASS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS FROM 40 PUPILS TO 45 WHICH IS THE STATUTORY PERMITTED LIMIT.
ANOTHER AREA WHERE MORE EMPHASIS COULD BE PLACED ON QUANTITY RATHER THAN QUALITY WAS RECREATION FOR WHICH THERE WAS A COMMITMENT OF $27 MILLION TO DEVELOP FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.
+COULD THESE FUNDS BE USED TO OPEN UP MORE EXTENSIVE COUNTRYSIDE AREAS IF QUALITY WERE LOWERED, FOR INSTANCE, BY REDUCING THE EMPHASIS ON THE CONCRETING OF PATHS AND ROADS, AS WELL AS ON BUILDING OF BRIDGES, BUT INSTEAD
OSTING SIMPLY REMOVING EXCESSIVE UNDERGROWTH FROM PATHS, SIGNPOSTING THEM AND PROVIDING LITTER BINS?+
MR. LEE SAID HE PERSONALLY COULD SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH RUDIMENTARY PICNIC AREAS, PROVIDED THERE WERE MORE OF THEM.
HE ALSO ASKED IF THE GOVERNMENT COULD BUILD THE INDOOR STADIUM EARLIER THAN IT WAS NOW 'POSSIBLE IF REDUCED STANDARDS COULD BRING THE PRICE BELOW THE $68 MILLION ALLOWED IN THE ESTIMATES.
MR. LEE SAID SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ALSO APPLIED TO EXPENDITURE ON HOUSING, MEDICAL, PUBLIC WORKS AND MANY OTHER ITEMS.
BUT WITH
+IF AFFIRMATIVE ANSWERS COME UP AFTER THOROUGH CONSIDERATION AND ARE FOLLOWED UP, BY POSITIVE ACTION, I BELIEVE SOME QUANTITATIVE EXPANSION COULD CONTINUE TO BE MADE. SLIGHT MODIFICATION IN QUALITY, THUS ACHIEVING GREATER USE OF OUR RESOURCES, HE SAID.
MR. LEE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT A REVIEW BE MADE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE TO FIND OUT WHERE THE GOVERNMENT COULD AIM AT SLIGHTLY LOWER STANDARDS IN SOME POSTS FOR WHICH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED QUALIFICATIONS ARE INSISTED.
+I BELIEVE THAT IN SOME CASES, A REDUCTION IN QUALITY MAY NOT ONLY ACHIEVE SAVING, BUT ALSO HELP RECRUITMENT,+ HE ADDED.
·
/6
L