CO129-623-8 Estimates of Expenditure- includes a report for the year ending March 1951 1-12-1949 - 31-3-1951 — Page 259

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

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I have already referred briefly to some sub-heads when touching on some of the more important items of expenditure under departmental heads, and I will now say a word or two about the major new sub-heads which remain.

Provision was included last year for a new fire station at Kowloon, which it is necessary to build as the present station is temporarily housed in a requisitioned building. This was one of the items which it was not found possible to tackle during 1949/50, and the provision has been repeated to enable a start to be made this year.

During the present year the construction of a Marine Licensing Station at Cheung Chau was put in hand, and during the coming year it is proposed to erect further stations at Aber- deen and Yaumati. A sum of $250,000 is available for this purpose under Loan and the sum of $197,000 provided under sub-head 14 of Public Works Non-Recurrent is the balance required to complete the programme. Considerable revenue is lost owing to lack of control over the junk traffic, and it is hoped that the provision of the new stations will remedy this.

As regards sub-head 18, work on the Broadcasting studios in the new Electra House is well in hand. The advice of the B.B.C. was obtained in regard to the equipment for the new studios, and it is now estimated that this, together with the cost of alterations to the building rendered necessary by variations in the design of the studio floor, will amount to $400,000. An application has been submitted for a grant from the Colonial Development and Welfare fund amounting to $250,000 to cover a portion of the costs, and there is reason to hope that this will receive approval. The sum of $25,000 included under Public Works Non-Recurrent represents the balance of the sum of $150,000 provided during 1949/50 which is still unexpended.

Last year, the sum of $1 million was provided for the con- struction of a hutted labour camp in the New Territories with the object of relieving over-crowding in Stanley Prison, and to enable useful schemes such as reclamation work to be carried out by petty offenders with short hard labour sentences. Difficulties were experienced over the question of a site, and when plans were prepared, it was found that such a camp could not be built for the sum provided. The bulk of the admissions to Stanley Prison are in respect of short term sentences for opium offences, hawking without a licence and brothel keeping, and a small committee has been set up to consider whether such cases could not be dealt with by deportation or other means instead of saddling the taxpayer with their upkeep, and the provision of additional accommodation for their reception. The over-crowding at Stanley has temporarily been much relieved, as there has been a drop in admissions, and no final decision will be taken in regard to this camp, which it is now estimated will cost $1,800,000 until the report of the committee has been considered.

The admissions to prison per hundred thousand of popula- tion in Hong Kong are quite staggering as compared with the United Kingdom or with other Colonies. The figures are 1,139 for Hong Kong compared with 420 for Singapore and 100 for the United Kingdom.

The sum of $1,060,000 under Sub-head 22 is for the com- pletion of a sea wall for a length of 1,000 feet at North Point to provide an area for dumping and thus reclaiming valuable land.

Sub-head 23 provides for the balance of the expenditure on a contract which was let during the present year for the strengthening of the runways at Kai Tak, and for certain other comparatively minor improvements to the Airport.

Under Sub-head 25 the sum of $2 million is provided for works contingent on land sales. $2 million of this is to meet commitments resulting from the conditions of sale for the pro- vision of roads and drainage in new areas to be opened up for building purposes. The balance is for the continuation of work on the reclaimed land at Kun Tong, which has been purchased by the Asiatic Petroleum Company.

Sub-head 31 provides for a new Waterworks workshop in Kowloon, which is very necessary as the existing workshop, be- sides being inadequate in size, is in a very bad condition.

The sum of $1,200,000 has been provided under Sub-head 32 for the reconstruction of a bridge at Au Tau, which has collapsed, as neither the roads nor the bridges in the New Terri- tories were designed to carry the very heavy Military vehicles which are now passing over them. The bridge is at present only open to light traffic and, pending its reconstruction, the Military Authorities have erected a Bailey bridge alongside. They cannot however afford to retain this structure there indefinitely.

In regard to Sub-head 36 it will be some considerable time yet before plans can be prepared for the new abbatoir at Kennedy Town, as it will first be necessary to obtain technical advice in regard to the machinery to be installed. The sum of $100,000 provided is for the completion of the reclamation.

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Sub-head 37 provides for the erection of two markets of a light type of construction, which are considered necessary. One of these will be situated at Kowloon City and the other at Hung Hom. They represent the initial stages of a programme for the construction of additional markets of this type which will be spread over a number of years.

Sub-head 39 relates to the provision of offices and quarters for Health Inspectors at Aberdeen, and at To Kwa Wan for the Northeast district of Kowloon. It is obviously uneconomical