XN000022-1995-10-25 — Page 23

Reply:

- 13.

Mr President,

(a) It is hoped to release the final investigation reports for the landslips at Shum Wan and Chai Wan by the end of the year. In respect of Tuen Mun Highway, two reports have been produced on the rockfall incident at Tai Lam, one by the contractor and the other by the Supervising Officer for the Contract. The reports have been passed to the relevant Government offices including the Police, who are conducting an investigation and will probably recommend a Coroner's Inquest. It would not be appropriate to release the reports in full until after the Coroner's Inquest which is likely to be held in February 1996. A further report has been prepared by Highways Department in readiness for the Tuen Mun District Board later this month. The report will be made public after the Board Meeting.

(b) The following table shows the actual and estimated (in brackets) resources allocated to landslip preventive works on slopes affecting highways for the years 1992/93 - 1997/98;

Year

1992/93

1993/94

1994/95

1995/96

1996/97

1997/98

Expenditure on roadside slope upgrading works under the LPM Programme by CED

$19.8M

Expenditure on roadside slope maintenance/ repair works by HyD

$45M

$6.5M

$50M

$18.3M

$90M

($30.1M)

($110M)

($75.0M)

($110M)

($150.0M)

($110M)

(c) Resources already allocated are adequate for the completion of landslip preventive measures on slopes in the existing catalogue by the year 2000. Resources are being sought for a variety of other initiatives aimed at improved slope safety and these bids will compete with other demands for Government resources in the normal way. Given that a very large area of the Territory consists of slopes, the degree to which public money should be committed to this issue is in many ways a community decision in competition with other community requirements.