XN000022-1972-03-01 — Page 25

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Wednesday, March 1, 1972

Mr. Haddon-Cave expressed thanks to the Director of Social Welfare and the members of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee for the time and effort they had spent on examining more than 70 applications

and formulating recommendations on cach one of them.

Dealing with the capital account, the Financial Secretary

said of the increase of $343 million, 327 million was for departmental special expenditure, 336 million for capital subventions and $280 million

for the Public Works Programme.

Capital Account

The 1972/73 estimate for capital subventions was 134 million compared with the revised estimate for this year of 397 million, despite

of

an expected decline of $8 million in sponding by the universities. the estimated total, 342 million was required for aided schools, mainly for the expanded secondary school programme, and 34 million for hospital development including $29 million to meet payments in respect of the United Christian Hospital at Kwun Tong and the Centenary Block of the Tung Wah Hospital. Of the 329 million sought for these two projects,

311 million is for revotes.

Commenting on the Public Works Programme, Mr. Haddon-Cave said an examination of the Draft Estimates would show how heavily the balance of the programme was weighted in favour of water supplies and by roads, housing, medical facili'ies, urban amenities and airport development in that order.

The Financial Secretary sounded a warning on the main project in

He said the cost was the water programme, that is the High Island Schemo. escalating rapidly and the Public Works Sub-Committee would shortly be asked to

consider recommending a very substantial increase in the approved project

estimate of 3968 million.

/He concluded: ..........