Estimates-1958 — Page 191

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The Maintenance of Buildings subhead replaces the following three subheads which, in previous years, were shewn separately:-Maintenance of Government Buildings, Maintenance of Non-Government Buildings and White Ant Extermination. As a result of the larger number of buildings requiring maintenance the vote has had to be increased by $298,000.

The Alterations and Additions to Buildings vote replaces the following two subheads which were shewn separately in previous years:-Alterations and Additions to Government Buildings and Alterations and Additions to Non-Government Buildings, owing to outstanding requests for alterations, the vote is increased by $30,000.

The increase of $250,000 in the Maintenance and Replacement of Storm-Water Drains vote is to cover expenditure on the clearance of nullahs which expenditure was previously charged in part to the Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage vote.

The increased mileage of roads to be maintained and their rapid deterioration as a result of the increase in weight and density of traffic carried appear to justify an increase of $750,000 in the Maintenance of Roads and Bridges vote.

The increased provision of $800,000 for Water Meters is necessary in view of outstanding low-cost housing schemes and other requirements occasioned by rapid general development. The new Tai Lam Chung scheme will probably be in operation by March, 1957, and the increase of $1,750,000 in the Waterworks, Supply and Maintenance vote is to accommodate the additional cost of pumping and chemicals.

The Domestic and Office Appliances vote is increased by $100,000 to meet the cost of appliances to be supplied to new quarters and offices now in course of erection.

A new Subhead, Maintenance of Irrigation Works in the New Territories, has been created as the maintenance of these projects, such as diversion dams and channels, financed from Colonial Development and Welfare funds, is a charge on the general revenue of the Colony. Maintenance costs for similarly charged projects, such as feeder roads and piers, will be met from existing votes which have been increased to meet this further commitment.

The Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage vote has been changed to read Typhoon and Rainstorm Damage and Emergency Repairs to accommodate expenditure which may be incurred for emergency repairs ordered by the Fire Brigade and Police Force which cannot, in the opinion of the Chief Building Surveyor, be properly recovered from owners.

HEAD 31 PUBLIC WORKS NON-RECURRENT

Estimate 1957/58

Revised estimate 1956/57

Approved estimate 1956/57

Actual expenditure 1955/56

$152,063,280

120,916,000

126,185,660

81,433,819

The revised estimate for the current year falls very slightly short of the approved estimate: the margin is much smaller than in previous years.

The Report of the Sub-Committee of Finance Committee appointed to review the Public Works programme is published separately. With minor exceptions, the Appendix to that report is reproduced as Appendix II to the draft Estimates; the latest progress reports received from the Public Works Department indicate that some of the items which it was earlier thought would be completed this financial year and which were therefore omitted from Category A(i) (Construction in progress on 1st April, 1957,) will not be so completed; these have therefore been reincluded under Category A(i).

Stage II of the Eastern Drainage Scheme, Kowloon, has now been omitted from the programme as constituting part of the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Scheme. A new addition to the programme is the item: Fluoridation of Water Supplies. The provision included under this vote ($280,000) is to cover initial capital expenditure; recurrent costs will be made from a recurrent Waterworks vote. An increase in staff has been necessary under Head 29.