CO129-597-3 Estimates 1950 22-2-1949 - 3-11-1950 — Page 76

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28.

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Under the Head Fire Brigade, certain increases in establishment have been allowed for in order to provide for crews for two fire engines which have been replaced by more modern appliances. In the normal course these engines would have been disposed of, but they are still in reasonable condition and it is hoped that it will be possible to modernise them.

29.

Recruitment for the new Defence Force has been in progress for some months. Provision is made for an Infantry unit to be known as the Hong Kong Regiment, and also for Naval and Air Force units. The estimate for the Hong Kong Regiment provides also for the headquarters of the combined force and a sum of $310,640 has been included to meet the cost of the Regular Army and Royal Air Force personnel which it is proposed to second to staff this headquarters. Under Other Charges and Special Expenditure the sum of just under $2,000,000 has been provided for the equipment and training of the Infantry unit. The estimates for the Naval and Air Force components total $209,282 and $135,930 respectively, but they are still very tentative. The Naval estimate is based on the assumption that minesweepers will be made available for training purposes and the Air Force estimate.also assumes that some aircraft will be made available for the same purpose. As you are aware, negotiations on these points are in progress, but no final agreement has so far been reached with either the Admiralty or the Air Ministry.

30.

Funds are provided under sub-head 7 of the Head Public Works Extraordinary to enable a start to be made on the projected new headquarters for the Defence Force. This is provisionally estimated to cost $5,000,000. The exact requirements, however, have not yet been decided upon, and it is therefore improbable that more than $500,000 will be required to cover the work up to the end of the present financial year.

31.

In the course of the budget debate, Sir Man Kam Lo commented on the scale of this expenditure on the Defence Force, including the Naval and Air Force units, and stated, on behalf of his unofficial colleagues, that they were only prepared to accept it on the clear understanding that the maintenance of the local forces represented the full extent of the Colony's contribution to Imperial defence and that no cash contribution would be expected in addition. I undertook to bring the views of the unofficial members on this question to your notice, and I trust that, in view of the terms of the earlier correspondence, no additional contribution for defence purposes will in fact be

demanded.

32.

Provision was made in the 1948-49 estimates for the construction of a tuberculosis clinic, and it was proposed that another clinic should be constructed from funds which the Red Cross Society had very generously made available. When the matter was examined in more detail, however, it was found that the clinics would cost a good deal more than was at first envisaged, and for this and other reasons it did not prove possible to start construction. It is now proposed to erect these clinics, one on each side of the harbour, during the present financial year, but owing to the increased cost the contribution from the Red Cross Society will not suffice to meet the whole cost of either building. estimates has therefore been raised from Equipment and additional staff for these provided for under the Medical Department head, and when the clinics are completed they will work in close co-operation with the Anti-Tuberculosis Association.

The provision in the $100,000 to $240,000. clinics has been