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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1982
MEDICAL AND HEALTH BUDGETING PROCEDURE UNDER REVIEW
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A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGETING AND ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES IS BEING TAKEN BY A TEAM OF TREASURY ACCOUNTANTS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING ON THE GOVERNMENT MINUTE IN RESPONSE TO THE FOURTH REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, SIR PHILIP SAID IT IS HOPED THAT BY APRIL 1, 1983 A COMPUTERISED ON-LINE FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL BE IN OPERATION AND WILL PROVIDE THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES WITH DATA AND ANALYSES NEEDED TO EXERCISE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER EXPENDITURE.
SIR PHILIP WAS COMMENTING ON OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT AND THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON THE CONTROL OF EXPENDITURE IN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FINANCES OF THE DEPARTMENT DEMANDS FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS WHICH ENABLE THE CONTROLLING OFFICERS TO DEFINE AND ALLOCATE RESPONSIBILITIES APPROPRIATELY AND TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE ACCURATELY AND SPEEDILY.
HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A COMPLEX OF SERVICES SUBJECT TO MANY AND VARIED AND FREQUENTLY UNEXPECTED PRESSURES, ADMINISTERING A LARGE NUMBER OF SEPARATE INSTITUTIONS.
+IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT THE SYSTEMS PRESENTLY OPERATED HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH THE RAPID GROWTH OF SERVICES IN RECENT YEARS, IN BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE TERMS.+
THE EXPENDITURE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, FOR INSTANCE, HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, HE ADDED.
ON THE GOVERNMENT MINUTE, SIR PHILIP SAID ITS PURPOSE IS TO COMMENT AS APPROPRIATE ON THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE AND TO INDICATE WHAT ACTION THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN, OR PROPOSES TO TAKE, TO REMEDY IRREGULARITIES AND TO IMPROVE PROCEDURES AND, IF NECESSARY, TO EXPLAIN WHY IT INTENDS TO TAKE NO ACTION.
→THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO THE PART PLAYED BY THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN THE PRUDENT AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE PUBLIC FINANCES AND I TRUST THAT MEMBERS WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THE GOVERNMENT MINUTE REPRESENTS A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE'S REPORT, HE SAID.
PLB LIMITATION EXTENDED ***
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) EXTENDED FOR TWO YEARS UNTIL APRIL 10, 1984, THE PERIOD DURING WHICH THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WHICH MAY BE LICENSED AS PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES, IS LIMITED.
MOVING THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE (CHAPTER 220), THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, SAID THE TOTAL PERMISSIBLE NUMBER OF PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES WOULD REMAIN AT 4 350.
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