21
Wednesday, April 7, 1976
The Government had therefore embarked on an overall
Development Plan which would embody all the individual plans and
would attempt to estimate the total needs of Hong Kong for land,
money and other resources during a specified period.
He told the Council that the outline preparatory
structure for the Development Plan had been comploted.
"This work has enabled us to identify many now areas
which are susceptible to some form of long-term planning, in
addition to those on which we are already working.
"It has also emphasised the need for plans to embody
the contributions of all the various departments involved in each
planning area.'
"
If such a calculation was to be effective, Sir Donys
said information on policy produced by branches and departments
must be related to the forecasts of expenditure in cach planning
area, no matter which department controlled the vote.
"We have decided, therefore, that in future the
financial information required for the Five-Year Forecast of
Revenue and Expenditure will be collected under programme headings."
He added that the Government was also considering whether
the development of costing systems would enable the cost of
departmental activities contributing to a programme to be
obtained on a regular basis for management purposes.
Referring to the possible reduction in size and
abolition of some advisory and other committees, he said
Secretaries and Heads of Departments were asked to study the
purposes and achievements of all committees chaired by them or
members of their staff, and to submit their comments on
continuance of the committees.
/"Preliminary