ENG-1969 — Page 233

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

157

million on resettlement estates and their associated schools; $45 million on government low-cost housing; and $76 million on all other projects.

A new design for resettlement housing blocks with rooms built to a larger grid which will enable initial alterations to be made at about 35 square feet for each adult was completed and the first contracts for the new designs were let. Seventeen eight- and 16- storey resettlement blocks, two 20-storey, eight 15-storey and one 12-storey government low-cost housing blocks were completed; sufficient for the accommodation of 123,600 people. Nine 24-class- room primary schools were also completed in resettlement and government low-cost housing estates. At the end of the year work was continuing on 39 resettlement blocks and 48 low-cost housing blocks (which will provide accommodation for 334,000 people) in addition to 35 estate schools, providing a total of 840 classrooms.

During the year four estate administration buildings and three estate welfare centres were completed and two further welfare centres and one estate administration building were under con- struction. Preparatory works were in hand on six sites for estates with a future total capacity of 136,000 people and planning was in progress to provide accommodation for a further 146,000 people on five new sites. Improvements in electrical wiring in Marks I and II blocks were continued and the provision of individual water supplies in all the existing Mark III and older Mark IV blocks was completed during the year.

Projects completed on Hong Kong Island included the Tang Shiu-kin Hospital with the help of a donation from Sir Shiu-kin Tang, and a two-storey market with roof playground at North Point. Several playgrounds and public amenity areas were also completed and others were under construction. Projects completed in Kowloon included a further extension to Kai Tak Air Terminal Building, a new studio and office building for Radio Hong Kong, Morse Park (with an area of 44 acres) for which the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club provided funds, and Kowloon Park in the former Whitfield Barracks site. The site formation and substructure work for the Secondary Technical School at Kwun Tong were also completed. In the New Territories work completed included a customs examination shed at Shek Wu Hui for goods imported from China by road,