delay in the setting up of the Lands Tribunal which affected the necessary land resumptions; under 'Landslip study phase II', $550,848 (20%) because of delay in site investigations; and under 'Pre-commissioning studies and technical auditing for special industries', $437,547 (95.1%) due to slow progress by one large industrial company and because funds allocated for contingencies were not required. One new subhead was opened during the year with supplementary provision of $132,500 of which $128,404 was spent.
Head 71-Public Works Non-Recurrent: Buildings
There were 144 subheads in the original estimates including 29 with a 'nil' estimate on which there was no expenditure during the year. On the remaining 115 subheads expenditure was less than the estimate in 69 cases and exceeded the estimate in 46 cases, total savings on this account being $115,154,629 and the total excess $12,833,643. The total excess was covered by supplementary provisions totalling $24,862,370. Seven new subheads were opened during the year with supplementary provisions totalling $2,189,500 of which $640,834 was spent.
The largest saving occurred under the subhead for 'Kai Tak terminal building modifications-top priority works' and amounted to $46,132,662 (67.7%) for a number of reasons including the re-scheduling of the overall programme, delay in the clearance for a new flyover, lower than anticipated tender prices and delays in commence- ment. There were also large savings under ‘Kai Tak terminal building modifications-current works' ($1,644,887 or 41.4%) mainly because tender prices were lower than anticipated and because provision for a claim was no longer required; under 'Kai Tak Airport-air cargo complex office building' ($9,826,707 or 66%) because of delays in commencement of work, delays because of wet weather and lower than anticipated tender prices; under 'Technical Institute, Kwun Tong' ($1,916,362 or 41.2%) because the final account for the project was lower than originally estimated; under ‘Technical Institute in Cheung Sha Wan' ($3,283,993 or 53.6%) because tender prices were lower than anticipated; under 'Multi-storey car park at Yau Ma Tei-Stage II' ($2,964,569 or 66.9%) because tender prices were lower than anticipated, the scope of the work was reduced and there were delays due to foundation difficulties and wet weather; under 'Yau Ma Tei Government slipway' ($252,721 or 25.3%) because amount required for clearance of final account and settlement of majority claim was smaller than anticipated; under 'Kowloon district headquarters' ($3,639,309 or 60%) due partly to delay in commence- ment aggravated by wet weather and partly to lower than anticipated tender prices; under 'Accommodation for Police Tactical Unit companies at the Police Training School: Aberdeen' ($381,738 or 16.2%) because the original provision was over estimated; under 'Kowloon Reception Centre' ($1,513,845 or 36.9%) because tender prices and the final account for some preliminary work were lower than anticipated coupled with delays in the preliminary contracts due to wet weather; under 'Stanley Prison-improvements to kitchen' ($372,810 or 34.4%) because of delay in installation of equipment; under ‘Stanley Prison-security alterations' ($2,458,414 or 51.2%) because of a change in the scope of the work; under 'Additional cell block/refractory unit; Stanley prison' ($1,324,482 or 44.4%) because of delay pending construction of a fence to conform to prison security requirements; under 'Kowloon East polyclinic, stage 1' ($2,444,000 or 100%) because a donation has been received for the build- ing of this project and thus it is no longer a charge to public expenditure; under 'New Lai Chi Kok General and Mental Hospitals combined staff quarters' ($910,281 or 43.9%) because costs were lower than anticipated and there was delay in the agreement of measurements with the contractor; under 'Castle Peak Hospital-additions and improvements' ($706,962 or 60.9%) because tender prices were lower than anticipated and there was delay pending revision of an approved but outdated tender; under 'Specialist clinic-Hong Kong Island East' ($534,757 or 20.1%) because a donation had been received towards the cost of this project; under ‘New General Post Office' ($7,502,670 or 25.9%) mainly because the final account was lower than anticipated coupled with delays in completion due partly to wet weather and partly to contract variations; under 'International mail centre' ($825,078 or 39.2%) because of delays in the commencement of piling and the postponement of the access road; under 'Funeral depot at Winslow Street' ($2,459,950 or 82%) because tender prices were lower than anticipated and there was some delay in commencement; under ‘Additions, alterations and improvements to Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan abattoirs' ($2,971,558 or 42.3%) because of delay in obtaining increase in approved estimate to permit the ordering of the next stage of the work; under 'Payments under fluctuation clauses in respect of building items' ($15,000,000 or the whole provision) because as additional provisions were approved during the year on other subheads an equivalent amount under this subhead was frozen and no longer available for expenditure; under 'Fitting out of premises' ($1,925,326 or 38.5%) because of delay in the submission of bills by the maintenance contractors; under 'Minor outstanding building items in the Public Works Programme' ($457,551 or 67.2%) because final accounts were lower than anticipated and there was delay in settlement of some outstanding items; and under 'Minor works selected from items in Category D of the Public Works Programme' ($697,108 or 34.9%) and 'Minor Works selected from items in Category E of the Public Works Programme' ($783,989 or 39.2%) because of delay in approval of these programmes. Many of the excesses on the subheads appearing in the printed estimates were considerable, in particular: under 'Mount Davis ambulance depot' ($703,729 or 169.2%) because delays in 1974/75 led to higher expenditure in 1975/76; under 'Temporary storage areas in Kowloon' ($1,677,145 or 1,677.1%) and under 'Cheung Sha Wan divisional police station' ($340,395 or 460%) because of accelerated progress in the building programme; under 'North Point divisional
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