CO129-557-5 Estimates 1937 19-8-1936 - 7-8-1937 — Page 204

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7.

The prison population continues to increase and it is necessary substantially to increase the provision for prisoners' clothing and subsistence.

The provision of new motor vehicles under Special Expenditure is, of course, necessitated by the situation of the

new Gaol.

There is no change in the establishment of Prisons staff, except for the new posts of Installation Mechanic and

Fitter. The boiler installation at the new Gaol calls for the

supervision of a highly qualified Mechanic such as could not be obtained for a lower scale of salary than that provided. It is expected that an officer having the qualifications of a University graduate in Engineering will be appointed to the post.

No. 22. Medical Department.

The very considerable increase in Other Charges and Special Expenditure is almost all necessarily due to the opening of the new Queen Mary Hospital which is expected at about the end of March next year. The Government Civil and Victoria Hospitals will at the same time be closed, and, as far as possible, the

equipment of those two hospitals will be used in the Queen Mary Hospital. The accommodation of the new hospital is, however, considerably greater than the combined accommodation of the Government Civil and Victoria Hospitals; over 500 beds as against 318 beds, and it is necessary to provide for the possibility that this accommodation will be fully used. Considerable increase in

staff and in provision for equipment is therefore inevitable; furthermore, the distance of the new hospital from the city makes increased provision for transport necessary; all items in the pre- dent estimate have however been very carefully checked.

The opening of the Queen Mary Hospital accounts for the

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