XN000022-1974-12-08 — Page 1

PRH 7

香港政府

GIS新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1974

PRISON WORKSHOPS TO TURN FURNITURE MANUFACTURER

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A WIDER USE OF HONG KONG'S PRISON WORKSHOPS IS BEING MADE WITH A VIEW TO TRANSFORMING THEM INTO THE GOVERNMENT'S MAIN SUPPLIER OF FURNITURE.

AND THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS AN EXPANDING UTILISATION OF THE PRISON INDUSTRY HAS JUST BEEN TAKEN.

THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY PLACED AN ORDER ON THE PRISON WORKSHOPS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MORE THAN 1,000 ITEMS OF FURNITURE FOR USE IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, OFFICES AND QUARTERS. IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PRISON INDUSTRIES HAVE UNDERTAKEN THE MANUFACTURE OF MANY OF THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THIS ORDER.

THE ORDER, WHICH REPRESENTS FURNITURE WORTH APPROXIMATELY $200,000, WAS TODAY DESCRIBED BY THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES, MR. FRED YOUNG, AS +A MODEST STEP IN A CONTINUING PROCESS OF ULTIMATELY TURNING THE PRISON INDUSTRY INTO A MAIN MANUFACTURER OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES.+

BY TURNING TO THE PRISON WORKSHOPS AS A MANUFACTURER OF FURNITURE, HE SAID, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO BRING ABOUT GREATER ECONOMY THAN WAS THE CASE WHEN ORDERS FOR SUPPLY WERE TAKEN UP BY OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS.

+PRODUCTION BY PRISON LABOUR WOULD LEAD TO SUBSTANTIAL SAVING IN LABOUR COSTS AND GREATER COST EFFECTIVENESS,+ HE ADDED.

AT PRESENT, GOVERNMENT FURNITURE IS MANUFACTURED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS OPERATING ON A COMPETITIVE TENDER BASIS. THE VALUE OF FURNITURE PRODUCED FOR THE CURRENT YEAR IS ESTIMATED AT $4 MILLION.

AS A LONG-TERM ECONOMY MEASURE, MR. YOUNG HOPED TO SEE THE PRISON WORKSHOPS TAKING OVER THE MANUFACTURING FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ALL FURNITURE, UNIFORMS AND METAL WORK TOGETHER WITH THE REPAIRING OF TYPEWRITERS IN FUTURE.

+THIS WILL PROVE TO BE A SLOW BUT CONTINUING PROCESS AND WILL TAKE TIME TO MATERIALISE,+ HE OBSERVED. +HOWEVER, WE HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT THE PRISON WORKSHOPS WILL LIVE UP TO OUR EXPECTATIONS IN THE END, SAID THE DIRECTOR.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE SAVINGS TO BE DERIVED FROM SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL UTILISATION OF THE PRISON LABOUR WOULD ADD UP TO SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

HE DISCLOSED THAT ORDERS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FURNITURE PLACED WITH THE PRISON DEPARTMENT +WILL BE STEPPED UP GRADUALLY IN THE GH FOR THELON BOURS CAPABILITYD AVAN HABLông THEзRAISONS.+