CO129-623-9 Estimates of Expenditure- includes a report for the year ending March 1952 1-2-1951 - 30-11-1951 — Page 58

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being provided for building grants for non-Government schools. The bulk of this will be devoted to grants for the erection of schools in the New Territories on a dollar-for- dollar basis. Great enthusiasm is being displayed in the rural areas of the New Territories over the raising of the necessary funds for this purpose, and it is most desirable that this display of public spirit should receive encouragement. It has of course been necessary to provide for a corresponding increase in the vote for the equipment of these schools. has also been a large increase of nearly $1 million in respect of the subsidy to vernacular schools, chiefly owing to the admission of more primary schools to the subsidy rode, and the proposed gradual replacement of a number of uncertificated by certificated teachers.

26.

There

As you are aware, some civil defence planning has been going on for some years, and the necessary personnel has been seconded from other departments. This year it was considered desirable to show the staff separately and they have been included under sub-division of the Essential Services Corps Head. The requirements of civil defence have been largely responsible for the considerable increase of over $1 million under the Fire Brigade Head. An auxiliary Fire Service has been formed and a small new provision has been necessary in this connection. But the main increase is in respect of new fire fighting appliances and equipment.

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Estimated expenditure under the Medical Department Head has risen by over $11 million, the bulk of the increase occurring under Other Charges and Special Expenditure. The Department has taken over a further commitment in the shape of the Maternity Home at Shatin, which was formerly under the control of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and provision has been made for an extension of the school medical service. Work on additional wards of the Kowloon Hospital was commenced towards the end of the financial year 1950/51, and a sum of $309,250 has been provided under Public Works Non- Recurrent for its completion. It is proposed to erect a further tuberculosis clinic on the Hong Kong side during the oresent year, and it will be observed that the five-year plan provides for a new general hospital at Kowloon and a new mental hospital. These works are scheduled to be commenced in 1952/53. and it is hoped that it may be possible to make a start on the plans during the present year. The details of these two projects will naturally take some considerable time to finalise, hut the aim, in so far as staff permits, is to have everything sufficiently far advanced so that tenders for the actual construction work can be called for early in 1952/53.

28.

Under the Police Force Head, provision has been made for an increase of 300 constables, the intention being to recruit these men from Pakistan. Some months will, however, necessarily elapse before the recruitment is complete and provision for the salaries has therefore been made for a portion of the year only. This reinforcement will bring the total establishment of the Force to 4,796, which is not excessive for a population of over two million, when it is considered that it is now necessary to retain 523 men in the New Territories. The Commissioner recently made representations regarding the advisability of stepping up the ratio of N. C.O's