12
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1989
ACTION TAKEN TO SPEED UP SCHOOL REPAIRS
THE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS NOW PREPARED TO TAKE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL MAJOR REPAIRS TO AIDED SCHOOLS OUTSIDE HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATES, SO THAT SCHOOL AUTHORITIES ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO NOMINATE, APPOINT AND SUPERVISE AUTHORISED PERSONS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
TAM, RELATING
TO
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ROSANNA THE SUNNYSIDE SCHOOL, MR YEUNG SAID THIS SHOULD IN FUTURE SAVE A GOOD DEAL OF TIME IN GETTING REPAIRS DONE.
"THE SCHOOLS COUNCILS ARE NOW BEING CONSULTED, AND I HOPE AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THIS CHANGE WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE FUTURE.
THAT NEAR
BUT
"THIS WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO ALL SPONSORING BODIES, PARTICULARLY SO TO SMALL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE WHICH RUNS SUNNYSIDE SCHOOL, HE SAID.
P
ON THE GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR FORESEEABLE MAJOR REPAIRS TO SCHOOL BUILDINGS LOCATED OUTSIDE HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTATES, MR YEUNG EXPLAINED THAT EVERY YEAR, IN APRIL, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT INVITED ALL AIDED SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS, SO THAT FUNDS COULD BE SOUGHT IN THE ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FOLLOWING FINANCIAL YEAR.
AN APPLICATION WHICH WAS SUPPORTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES WAS GIVEN APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE, AND THE SCHOOL WAS ADVISED TO SEEK QUOTATIONS, OR ΤΟ APPOINT AN AUTHORISED PERSON AND TO ARRANGE FOR TENDERS.
FORMAL APPROVAL POR THE WORK TO PROCEED WAS GIVEN AFTER THE DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES HAD RECOMMENDED A QUOTATION OR TENDER FOR ACCEPTANCE.
FROM THE INITIAL APPLICATION TO THE ISSUE OF APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE NORMALLY TOOK ABOUT 12 MONTHS.
APPLICATIONS FOR MORE EMERGENCY REPAIRS COULD BE MADE AT ANY TIME, AND APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE WAS NORMALLY GIVEN WITHIN ONE TO THREE MONTHS, HE ADDED.
IN THE CASE OF SUNNYSIDE SCHOOL IN SAI KUNG, MR YEUNG SAID THE SCHOOL WAS A SMALL SPECIAL SCHOOL WITH 46 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, OF WHOM 38 WERE BOARDERS.
THE NEED FOR REPAIRS HAD FIRST COME TO LIGHT IN EARLY 1985, DURING AN INVESTIGATION BY THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT INTO À COMPLAINT FROM THE SCHOOL ABOUT ROCK-BLASTING IN THE VICINITY.
/THE BUILDING