XN000022-1981-05-27 — Page 14

13

WEANESDAY, MAY 27, 1981

+ IN THE CALENDAR YEARS 1979 AND 1980, THE NUMBER VEHICLES REGISTERED ROSE FROM 235 000 TO 304 000 AND WE NOW HAVE 272 VEHICLES FOR EVERY KILOMETRE OF ROAD IN HONG KONG. HE ADDED.

+COUPLED WITH THIS VERY HIGH DENSITY OF TRAFFIC, THERE IS A TREND TOWARDS HEAVIER VEHICLES WHICH OF COURSE GENERALLY MEANS HEAVIER AXLE LOADINGS AND BOTH OF THESE FACTORS OBVIOUSLY INCREASE THE RATE OF DETERIORATION OF THE ROADS.

+ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH VOLUME OF TRAFFIC FLOW ON OUR ROADS THE DIFFICULTIES OF GAINING ADEQUATE TIME AND SPACE TO PROPERLY CARRY OUT ROAD REPAIR WORKS HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED.

MR STEAN POINTED OUT THAT THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE WAS ATTEMPTING TO MITIGATE THESE PROBLEMS BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS USED IN ROAD WORKS AND BY INTRODUCING NEW TECHNIQUES AND MECHANICAL PLANT INTO HIGHWAYS WORKS.

+HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED, THERE ARE STAFF SHORTAGES

WAYS PARTICULARLY AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL WHICH RESTRICT THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OVERALL CAPACITY FOR WORK INCLUDING ROAD REPAIR WORKS.

+THE MOST CRITICAL SHORTAGE IS IN THE WORKS SUPERVISOR GRADE WHERE THE VACANCY RATE IS 35 PER CENT.+

WHILE HE BELIEVED THAT THE OVERALL PICTURE WAS NOT REALLY A BAD ONE, MR STEAN ASSURED MISS DUNN THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WAS NOT COMPLACENT AND WOULD EXERT ITS BEST EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ON THE PRESENT SITUATION.

GOVERNMENT NOT PARTY TO CONTRACTS

****

THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON E.P. HO, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ANDREW SO WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER MAKING FUNDS AVAILABLE TO ALLOW VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND SUBSIDISED SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF THE IR STAFF AND TO BRING THEM MORE IN LINE WITH THOSE OFFERED TO CIVIL SERVANTS, SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT A PARTY TO THE CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN A VOLUNTARY AGENCY AND ITS STAFF.

+ INSOFAR AS THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE USE OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IS CONCERNED, THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IS TO ENABLE SUCH SUBVENTED AGENCIES, INCLUDING AIDED SCHOOLS, TO MAINTAIN SERVICES AT AGREED LEVELS WITHIN APPROVED POLICIES, MR HO SAID.

IT IS A PRINCIPLE OF THIS SUBVENTION POLICY THAT AIDED BODIES MUST NOT USE THE SUBVENTIONS THEY RECEIVE TO GIVE BETTER SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE TO THOSE OF THE IR STAFF HAVING SIMILAR QUAL IF ICATIONS, AND DOING COMPARABLE WORK, AS SPECIFIC CLASSES OF CIVIL SERVANTS, HE SAID.

+ANY APPLICATION BY A SUBVENTED AGENCY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF ITS STAFF WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THESE CRITERIA, MR HO SAID.

/14