XN000022-1983-02-23 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1983

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AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF $114 MILLION WOULD BE REQUIRED IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON CORRECTIONAL SERVICES BUILDINGS AND INSTALLATIONS, COMPARED WITH $135 MILLION IN 1982-83.

MR BREMRIDGE ESTIMATED THAT $280 MILLION, AS AGAINST $142 MILLION IN 1982-83, WOULD BE SPENT ON THE JUDICIARY'S BUILDINGS AND

INSTALLATIONS, NOTABLY THE NEW SUPREME COURT BUILDING AND THE DISTRICT COURT AND MAGISTRACY BUILDING ON THE WAN CHAI RECLAMATION.

THE DRAFT ESTIMATES PROVIDED FOR TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $270 MILLION ON IMMIGRATION IN 1983-84, COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF $238 MILLION FOR 1982-83, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A NEW AND MORE SECURE IDENTITY CARD, THE INTRODUCTION OF A MODERN COMPUTER-BASED RECORDS SYSTEM FOR IDENTITY CARDS, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF 4.5 MILLION EXISTING CARDS OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD HAD BEEN COMPLETED, HE SAID.

FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN IMMIGRATION CONTROLS AND FACILITIES FOR TRAVELLERS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA AND MACAU WERE PLANNED FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, MR BREMRIDGE REPORTED.

ARRANGEMENTS WERE ALSO BEING COMPLETED TO DEAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL WORK RESULTING FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 AND THE CONSEQUENT CHANGES TO HONG KONG IMMIGRATION LAW ON DEFENCE, THE DRAFT ESTIMATES PROVIDED FOR TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $1 557 MILLION IN 1983-84, COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF $1 408 MILLION FOR 1982-83.

MR BREMRIDGE POINTED OUT THAT THE MAIN ITEM ON DEFENCE SPENDING WAS THE DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT.

UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PROVIDES NAVAL, ARMY AND AIR FORCE CONTINGENTS UNDER THE UNIFIED COMMAND OF THE HEADQUARTERS BRITISH FORCES TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF HONG KONG'S BORDERS AND TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL POWER IN PRESERVING STABILITY WITHIN HONG KONG,

$1.7 BILLION FOR ROAD DEVELOPMENT ******

THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SPEND $1 761 MILLION ON ROAD DEVELOPMENT FOR FISCAL 1983 COMPARED WITH THE REVISED ESTIMATE OF $1 756 MILLION IN 1982-83, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TOLD TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE IN PROPOSING THIS SAID THE AIM OF ROAD IMPROVEMENT WAS TO PROVIDE A HIGHWAY NETWORK THAT WOULD PERMIT THE FREE AND RAPID MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC TO AND FROM ANY PART OF THE TERRITORY WITH SAFETY AND ECONOMY.

+TO THIS END, EIGHT MAIN TRUNK ROUTES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND A LARGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS HAVE EITHER BEEN STARTED OR ARE BEING PLANNED TO IMPROVE THESE ROUTES, HE SAID.

/OF THE