XN000022-1993-03-04 — Page 24

QUESTION:

GOOD MORNING

23

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993

FINANCIAL

SECRETARY.

ABOUT

PUBLIC

EXPENDITURE.

NOW THERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A LOT OF CAPITAL WORKS GOING ON AND THERE'S A PAMPHLET GIVING THE LOCATIONS BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DETAILED BUDGET OF EACH CAPITAL WORKS, CAN THAT BE ANNOUNCED? DO YOU GET MY MEANING?

FS:

YES. WE DO ACTUALLY PUBLISH A LIST OF ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS. I'M AFRAID IT'S PART OF A VERY LARGE DOCUMENT. THERE ISN'T A LEAFTLET ON THAT BECAUSE THERE'S AN ENORMOUS NUMBER BUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE'RE GIVING TO DISTRICT OFFICES A LIST OF THE PROJECTS IN THEIR OWN DISTRICT AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PUBLICISE THOSE PROJECTS. SOME OF THEM ARE QUITE SMALL ONES, PROBABLY ONLY OF INTEREST TO THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT. THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BROKEN DOWN THAT PROGRAMME INTO DISTRICTS AND WE'VE ASKED D.O.'S TO PUBLICISE IT. SO I HOPE THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE IN DISTRICT TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING IN THEIR OWN PARTICULAR DISTRICT.

QUESTION:

UP

WELL WITH REGARD TO EXPENDITURE ON CAPITAL WORKS, THE AMOUNT IS MAMMOTH. ON THIS FRONT I WONDER IF THERE SHOULD BE EFFECTIVE CONTROL SO THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM OF OVER-RUN, JUST AS WHAT WE HAD IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE. SO WILL THAT RECUR?

PRESENTER: SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COST OVER-RUN.

FS:

ACTUALLY OUR PROBLEM AT THE MOMENT IS CURIOUSLY ENOUGH THE REVERSE. WE'RE NOT HAVING COST OVER-RUN PROBLEMS, WE'RE HAVING CONTRACTS COMING IN LESS THAN THE ESTIMATE, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS AND I MENTIONED IN THE BUDGET THAT ACTUALLY PART OF THE UNDERSPENDING, PART OF IT. IS ONE BILLION DOLLARS WHICH IS GENUINE SAVINGS BECAUSE CONTRACTS HAVE COME TN UNDER-ESTIMATE. SO, COST OVER-RUN IS NOT CURRENTLY A PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAPACITY OF OUR WORKS DEPARTMENTS HASN'T PROVED TO BE QUITE UP TO THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE IS TO MAKE MORE USE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR SO THAT WE CAN GET ON WITH THESE PROJECTS WHICH WE ALL WANT TO SEE BUILT.

PRESENTER:

CAN I JUST ADD A SUPPLEMENTARY TO ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE'S AGREEMENT WITH CHINA NOW ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT AND CT9 GOES THROUGH AND SO ON. WOULD THAT NOT MEAN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE OTHER CONTRACTS COMING ON QUITE QUICKLY AND THAT WOULD THEN, IF YOU SAY YOU'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH ACTUALLY HANDLING THESE SORT OF THINGS NOW, ALL THE MORE SO IN THE FUTURE?

TIME

FS:

WELL OF COURSE A LOT OF THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME IS PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WHICH ARE PROCEEDING ABSOLUTELY ON

AND WITHIN BUDGET. SO THAT'S ALREADY THERE, IT'S GOING ON, IT'S TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND THE FUNDING FOR THOSE IS REFLECTED IN OUR MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST. THE TWO PROJECTS WHICH ARE MORE SUBJECT TO THE TALKS WITH CHINA, OF COURSE THE AIRPORT ITSELF AND THE AIRPORT RAILWAY, AGAIN IN OUR FORECAST WE'VE PUT IN THE MONEY ON THE BASIS OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS FOR FUNDING, THAT'S ALREADY IN THE FIGURES. AND OF COURSE ON THE AIRPORT, AT THE MOMENT WE'RE STILL ON TRACK. PREPARATION CONTRACT HAS BEEN AWARDED AND SITE PREPARATION ON. ON THE RAILWAY, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING DECISION OF COURSE ON THE RECLAMATION WHICH WILL FORM THE STATION FOR THE AIRPORT RAILWAY.

THE SITE IS GOING

FOR A HONG KONG

/PRESENTER