CO129-623-9 Estimates of Expenditure- includes a report for the year ending March 1952 1-2-1951 - 30-11-1951 — Page 156

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Hoad 38. Stores Department.

Estimate 1951/52.

Revised Estimate 1950/51. Approved Estimate 1950/51. Actual Expenditure 1949/50.

$5,387,535

3,982,167

5,564,002

9,826,119

With the retirement of a Stores Supervisor during the year, it has buen possible to bring the number of posts of Senior Stores Officers into line with the approved establishment. Apart from the transfers in the General Clerical Service, the only other establishment change is the abolition of two posts of Coolie. A number of reductions have been made in temporary staff and the casual labour vote has been transferred to other Charges. It has, however, boon necessary to increase the provision for overtime allowances by $25,000 and the net result is to show a small increase of

6,533 in personal emoluments.

For administrative convenience, the provision for printing and binding, which is controlled by the Controller of Stores, has been transferred from Miscellaneous Services to this department and provision of $1,250,000 made for this itom. The only other major change is the reduction by

1,500,000 of the vote for unallocated stores. The provision for casual labour, part of which represents the transfer from personal emoluments, also includes a sum previously shown under furniture for offices and quarters. The result of these changes is to reduce recurrent expenditure by 248,000.

In

It is necessary to replace some departmental transport and 49,500 is included for this purpose. addition, two items of special equipment costing $15,500 are included.

The total expenditure for this Head is 5,387,535, which shows a reduction of 176,467.

Head 39. Subventions.

Estimate 1951/52.

Revised Estimate 1950/51. Approved Estimate 1950/51. Actual Expenditure 1949/50.

#16,847,968

14,159,300

14,326,900

13,861,005

Additional expenditure in 1951/52 on various grants

and 150,000 to

to schools account largely for the increase of "1,903,868 in recurrent expenditure for Subventions. The major portion of this sum will be disbursed to vernacular schools and amounts to $1,427,150. It chiefly results from the admission of more primary schools to the subsidy code. The balance is for grant-in-aid schools for which increases of 308,000, $37,400 and 14,800 are required for miscellaneous grants, building dopreciation fund provident fund respectively. The subvention of the Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association has been transferred from Special Expenditure. The only other increase compared with 1950/51 is an additional $250 for the International Meteorological Association. This grant is payable in Swiss francs and the increase is accounted for by the revaluation of sterling in 1949. The total moncy disbursed to organisations in which the Hong Kong Social Welfare Advisory Committee takes an interest remains unchanged although certain individual ru-allocations have buen made. In spite of the increase of University fees,