XN000022-1983-02-23 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1983,

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$3.7 BILLION TO BE SPENT ON PUBLIC HOUSING

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THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE, TODAY

(WEDNESDAY) PROPOSED TO SPEND $3.7 BILLION ON THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION

OF PUBLIC HOUSING, INCLUDING TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS.

MR BREMRIDGE, PRESENTING HIS BUDGET PROPOSALS AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SAID THE MONEY WOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME AS THE REVISED 1982-83 EXPENDITURE ESTIMATE, TO SOME EXTENT REFLECTING A LOWER TENDER PRICE INDEX.

HE SAID THE FORECAST OF PRODUCTION FROM 1983-84 TO 1986-87 OF 143 800 FLATS EXCEEDED PRODUCTION IN THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS BY 4 314 FLATS.

MR BREMRIDGE ADDED:

+THESE PRODUCTION FIGURES DO NOT INCLUDE 2 602 HOUSING SOCIETY FLATS AND 17 826 PRIVTAE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING PROGRAMME FLATS EXPECTED TO COME ON-STREAM DURING THE SAME FOUR-YEAR PERIOD, ACHIEVING AN AVERAGE COMPLETION RATE OF 41 000 A YEAR OR 164 288 FLATS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

HE SAID 30 100 HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS OUT OF A TOTAL OF ABOUT 42 100 FLATS IN THE FIRST FIVE PHASES WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE END OF FISCAL 1983 AND THAT WORK WILL BE ON HAND ON THE BALANCE AND ON A FURTHER 16 800 FLATS IN PHASES VI AND VII.

MR BREMRIDGE POINTED OUT THAT THE VALUE OF LAND IS EXCLUDED FROM THE CALCULATION OF THE SELLING PRICE OF FLATS PRODUCED UNDER THE HOME OWNERSHIP AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEMES AND THE MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING PROGRAMME TO KEEP THEM AFFORDABLE BY THE TARGET GROUPS.

FS BUDGETS $1.7 BILLION FOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH

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THE DRAFT ESTIMATES PROVIDE FOR EXPENDITURE BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN 1983-84 OF $1 771.6 MILLION COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1982-83 OF $1 613 MILLION, FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE SAID IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE ALSO DISCLOSED THAT EXPENDITURE ON MEDICAL SUBVENTIONS AND CAPITAL WORKS WILL BE $915.2 MILLION AND $357 MILLION RESPECTIVELY AS COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1982-83 OF $780 MILLION AND $201.5 MILLION.

AAR BREMAIDGE