16.
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Mr Blake said the Government was planning to spend some $20 million on improving project management in Works Departments to ensure timely delivery of works within budget.
"With some $100 billion expenditure on non- airport public works scheduled for the next five years, the capital works programme is ever more demanding," he said.
On slope safety, Mr Blake said the Government was committed to taking all practical steps to ensure that the public was protected from slope failures.
"Over the next five years, the Government plans to spend $400 million on staff costs to accelerate the landslip preventive measures programme. This is in addition to the $1.28 billion which will be spent over the period on capital works to improve slope safety.
"We will also implement the recommendations of the independent report on the Kwun Lung Lau landslip which was completed by the Canadian geotechnical expert, Professor Norbert Morgenstern," he said.
Turning to construction site safety, Mr Blake said the Government was training 1,500 office and site staff members on Government projects in safety techniques.
In addition, he said, a special unit in the Works Branch had been set up to push through safety initiatives.
"Contractors with continual poor safety records will be penalised, and in extreme cases struck off the Government list," he said.
During the visit this afternoon, Mr Blake saw the progress of the construction of the Kap Shui Mun Bridge and Ma Wan Viaduct which formed a major part of the Lantau Fixed Crossing linking Tsing Yi and Lantau via the island of Ma Wan. The crossing would form the initial access to the proposed port and airport developments on Lantau.