XN000022-1982-04-14 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1982

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BUT MR MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT TO IGNORE THE VERY LARGE EXPENDITURE ON WORKS CARRIED OUT FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL THE DEFENCE WORKS PROGRAMME AND THOSE FUNDED BY OTHER AGENCIES. WHICH IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $400 MILLION. WAS A RATHER SERIOUS OMISSION.

+WHEN ALL RELEVANT FACTORS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THERE IS USUALLY A LEAD TIME OF ONE TO TWO YEARS FROM INITIAL DESIGN TO CONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURE, STAFF COSTS IN ANY GIVEN FINANCIAL YEAR CANNOT DIRECTLY RELATE TO CONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURE IN THAT YEAR, THE RATIO OF PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS TO EXPENDITURE IN THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE FROM 1977/78 TO 1981/82 AVERAGES ABOUT SIX PER CENT WELL BELOW THE FIGURES GIVEN IN MR CHEN'S ANALYSIS AND ALSO WELL BELOW THE 10 PER CENT FIGURE FOR CONSULTANCY FEES WHICH HE CONTENDS IS RARELY EXCEEDED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID.

BUT MR MCDONALD ADMITTED THAT HIS ANALYSIS WAS ALSO INCOMPLETE AS IT IGNORED THE NOT INSIGNIFICANT, BUT DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY, AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME SPENT ON DESIGN AND PLANNING STUDIES AND ADVISING OTHER GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS ON PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS WHICH DID NOT RESULT IN ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE CONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURE.

+ IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT GENERALLY MORE ECONOMICAL TO HAVE WORK CARRIED OUT BY PRIVATE CONSULTANTS, HE SAID.

+THERE WILL, HOWEVER, REMAIN THE NEED TO EMPLOY CONSULTANTS WHEN SPECIAL EXPERTISE IS REQUIRED OR WHEN THE EMPLOYMENT OF CONSULTANTS TO ASSIST WITH PEAKS OF WORKLOAD IS TRULY MORE ECONOMICAL THAN TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN ADDITIONAL STAFF.+

ON THE COMPLAINTS VOICED BY MR HU AND MR CHEN OVER DELAYS IN THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS FOR BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, MR MCDONALD SAID THAT THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS LAID DOWN MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS.

+THE ORDINANCE ALSO PLACES UPON AUTHORISED PERSONS THE STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS.

+WHILE THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF AUTHORISED PERSONS IS NOT QUESTIONED IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THEIR STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE MAY SOMETIMES CONFLICT WITH THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR CLIENTS, HE ADDED.

ALTHOUGH HE WOULD NOT SUGGEST THAT THESE PROFESSIONAL MEN WOULD EVER ALLOW THE LATTER TO OVERRIDE THE FORMER, IT MUST BE CLEAR THAT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST THE BUILDING AUTHORITY SHOULD PLAY A BALANCING ROLE, HE SAID.

MR MCDONALD CONTINUED THE SERVICE AT PRESENT GIVEN BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR THROUGH CENTRALISED PROCESSING COVERS A VERY WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS IN ADDITION TO THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE.

SAPUN DAAMPLE,