XN000022-1980-04-16 — Page 17

15

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980

LAND SALE AND PRODUCTION FORECASTS ARE ACCURATE

****

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE. SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE VARIOUS ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND FORECASTS OF LAND SALES AND LAND PRODUCTIONS IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH HAD BEEN CALCULATED ON A CONSISTENT BASIS AND WOULD PROVE TO BE ACCURATE.

REPLYING TO REMARKS FROM THE HON DAVID NEWBIGGING ABOUT THE SHORTFALL BETWEEN THE BUDGET SPEECH FORECASTS OF LANDSALES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND THE ACTUAL SALES, SIR PHILIP SAID IT WAS WRONG TO COMPARE THE ESTIMATES OF LAND PRODUCTION IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH WHICH ARE EXPLICITLY AND DELIBERATELY EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF GROSS AREAS WITH THOSE IN THE REPORTS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LAND PRODUCTION, WHICH ARE EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF NET AREAS, EXCEPT FOR HOUSING ESTATES AND INCLUDE LAND RELEASED FROM TEMPORARY USES.

HE ALSO SAID MR NEWBIGGING WAS IN ERROR IN SUPPOSING THAT THE SHORTFALL IN 1977-78 WAS 62 PER CENT BY COMPARING LAND SALES WITH THE FORECAST OF LAND SALES PLUS PRIVATE TREATY GRANTS. +HOWEVER, HIS ERROR IS MY FAULT FOR I DID NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SALES AND PRIVATE TREATY GRANTS IN THE 1977 BUDGET SPEECH.+

SIR PHILIP ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE REASONS FOR THE SHORTFALLS IN THESE FOUR YEARS WERE NUMEROUS. HOWEVER HE SAID A LAND SALES TARGET COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR TO MONITOR SALES IN RELATION TO THE SIX-MONTHLY PROGRAMME AND HE HOPED THAT IN FUTURE +WE SHALL AT LEAST BE WARNED IN GOOD TIME IF SHORTFALLS ARE LIKELY.+

$3 MILLION PUBLICITY PROGRAMME TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

******

A $3 MILLION FIVE-YEAR PUBLICITY PROGRAMME TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON J.C.A. HAMMOND TOLD LEGISLATIVE-COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE

MR HAMMOND WAS REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED AT PREVIOUS SESSIONS BY THE HON HO KAM-FAI AND THE HON WONG PO-YAN.

THE FIVE-YEAR PUBLICITY PROGRAMME COVERED THE PERIOD FROM 1978/79 TO 1982/83, THE COMMISSIONER SAID.

PLANS FOR THIS YEAR'S PUBLICITY PROGRAMME INCLUDED STAGING AN EXHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION SAFETY, PRODUCING FILMS AND TELEVISION MESSAGES FOR BOTH PUBLICITY AND TRAINING PURPOSES, PRODUCING SAFETY POSTERS, AND CONDUCTING SPECIAL SAFETY CAMPAIGNS.

THE PROGRAMME WAS IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S PUBLICITY UNIT, WHICH CONDUCTED A CONTINUAL PROGRAMME OF PRESS INTERVIEWS, RADIO AND TV DISCUSSIONS, AND PRESS RELEASES.

/IN REPLY