XN000022-1983-04-14 — Page 21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1983

+THE PUBLIC WORKS VETTING COMMITTEE, UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE DEPUTY FINANCIAL SECRETARY, IS CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXAMINING ALL SUBMISSIONS FOR NEW PROJECTS MADE BY DEPARTMENTS AND ENSURING THAT SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION EXISTS FOR THE INCLUSION OF ITEMS IN CATEGORY C,+ MR MCDONALD SAID.

INCLUSION IN CATEGORY C ENTAILED NO MORE THAN ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAMME BUT DID NOT PERMIT ANY WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT ON SUCH PROJECTS, HE ADDED.

REQUESTS FOR UPGRADING OF PROJECTS FROM CATEGORY C TO CATEGORY B WERE MADE TO THE PUBLIC WORKS PRIORITIES COMMITTEE WHICH COMPRISED THE SECRETARIES FOR LANDS AND WORKS, HOUSING, TRANSPORT, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPUTY FINANCIAL SECRETARY UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY.

POLICY BRANCH SECRETARIES CONCERNED WITH SUCH REQUESTS ATTENDED MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THEIR SUBMISSIONS AND ADVISED ON PROJECT PRIORITIES WITHIN THEIR OWN POLICY SPHERE.

THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH PURELY FINANCIAL ISSUES BUT TOOK A BROADER VIEW OF OVERALL NEEDS, COMMITMENTS AND PLANNING RESOURCES AND WAS GUIDED IN ITS DELIBERATIONS BY THE ADVICE TENDERED BY POLICY BRANCHES.

+HOWEVER, THE UPGRADING OF ITEMS TO CATEGORY B SIMPLY MEANS THAT THEY MAY BE PLANNED IN OUTLINE FORM ONLY TO ENABLE THE IR SCOPE TO BE MORE ACCURATELY DETERMINED, MR MCDONALD SAID,

INCLUSION IN CATEGORY C AND UPGRADING TO CATEGORY B WERE, THEREFORE, ADMINISTRATIVE STEPS DESIGNED TO SIFT THROUGH THE FORMLESS MASS OF INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENTS AND TO ENSURE THAT JUSTIFICATION FOR EACH PROJECT EXISTED AND THAT ITS SCOPE WAS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED BEFORE SUBMISSION FOR FURTHER UPGRADING TO THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE, WHOSE MEMBERSHIP WAS LARGELY UNOFFICIAL.

+ IT WOULD SEEM DOUBTFUL, THEREFORE, WHETHER ANY USEFUL PURPOSE WOULD BE SERVED BY UNOFFICIAL PARTICIPATION IN EITHER THE PUBLIC WORKS VETTING COMMITTEE OR THE PUBLIC WORKS PRIORITIES COMMITTEE, + MR MCDONALD SAID.

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