Estimates-1959 — Page 205

206

A decrease of $81,000, which is the only large reduction, has been made against the vote "Charitable organizations: refunds of rates" because of the fact that rates refundable to charitable organizations are included under their respective subheads wherever possible.

Recurrent subventions totalling $71,000 have been granted to four additional welfare organizations which have not previously been given a subvention.

Items under Special Expenditure include; $58,000 for the Christian Children's Fund, Inc. to pay for repairs to the approach road to the Wai Kwong Children's Home, extensively damaged by typhoon 'Gloria'; $38,000 for the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association to cover the initial cost of equipping 10 additional roof tops for Boys' and Girls' Clubs; $25,000 for the Hong Kong Sea School, being a dollar-for-dollar grant towards the cost of a new building estimated at $50,000; and $14,000 to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service to meet expendi- ture on conversion of new offices.

Estimate 1958/59

Revised estimate 1957/58

Approved estimate 1957/58

Medical

$11,451,900

9,837,000

8,041,500

7,411,263

Actual expenditure 1956/57

It has proved necessary to increase the grants to the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital ($250,000), Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association ($202,000) and Tung Wah and Associated Hospitals ($1,000,000). New items include $120,000 for the Family Planning Associa- tion of Hong Kong and $10,000 for the Society for the Relief of Disabled Children which were previously provided for under the Social Welfare Subvention.

Charitable Institutions are now required to pay rates and where a subvention is already in existence for recurrent expenditure an additional amount to cover rates has been added, In all other cases where rates are refundable provision has been made under a new composite subhead.

2.

Under Special Expenditure provision is made for a grant of $1,734,500 to the Grantham Hospital to cover the cost of maintaining 264 patients.

Estimate 1958/59

Revised estimate 1957/58

Approved estimate 1957/58

Education

$47,099,200

39,737,000

45,206,650

32,671,344

Actual expenditure 1956/57

With the increase in the number of Hong Kong students in the United Kingdom the provision for the Amenities Fund for Colonial Students has been increased. Some grant schools have repaid part of their interest-free loans and are therefore entitled to more building deprecia- tion grants. Normal promotions & increments, expansion of existing schools and the introduction of further schools under the Subsidy Code has resulted in an increase of $2,500,000 in the sub- vention to subsidized schools. Normal promotions and increments, and additional staff, account for the increase of $34,000 in the subvention to the Grant Schools Provident Fund.

Estimate 1958/59

Revised estimate 1957/58

Approved estimate 1957/58

D-Miscellaneous

$1,136,000

905,000

857,470

671,879

Actual expenditure 1956/57

The only notable changes are the inclusion of a subvention of $600,000 for the Hong

Kong Tourist Association and the transfer to subhead C. 5-'University of Hong Kong', of the subvention for the Fisheries Research Unit, Hong Kong University.

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