ENG-1970 — Page 201

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

architects and private quantity surveyors continued to be appointed for specific projects.

Expenditure during the year amounted to approximately $46.7 million on resettlement estates and associated schools; $58.2 million on government low-cost housing and $78.9 million on all other projects.

Sixteen resettlement blocks and six government low-cost housing blocks were completed during the year, providing accommodation for some 85,000 people. Twelve 24-classroom primary schools, fifteen 2-storey restaurants and two estate welfare buildings were also completed in resettlement and government low-cost housing estates. At the end of the year work was continuing on 29 resettle- ment blocks and 40 low-cost housing blocks (which will provide accommodation for 290,000 people in addition to 22 estate schools providing a total of 528 classrooms, one resettlement estate administration building and eleven 2-storey restaurants).

Improvements in electrical wiring in Marks I and II blocks were continued and work was completed at two estates. The experiment of converting one of the early Mark I resettlement blocks at Wong Tai Sin into self-contained flats was completed and appears to be successful.

Approval was given during the year for the provision of improve- ments in resettlement estates, the main item being the introduction of a new block design known as Mark VII which will effectively bring resettlement blocks in line with the standards adopted for low-cost housing blocks. A further innovation was the introduction of modular hawker markets which, together with the policy adopted in relation to the leasing of pre-planned shop space should enable better management and control to be exercised.

An important milestone in the history of the resettlement programme was reached on November 19, 1970 when His Excel- lency, the Acting Governor, opened the 500th domestic resettlement block and the 50th estate school, the buildings being at the Lam Tin Resettlement Estate. The 500th block was also the first 16-storey Mark VI type to be completed in which the designed floor space had been increased to 35 square feet for each adult.