Replies to Questions from Finance Committee Members

Reply Serial No.
Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2003-04 ETWB(W)022
CONTROLLING OFFICER'S REPLY TO Question Serial No.
INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION 0562
Head: 43 - Civil Engineering Department Subhead (No. & title):
Programme: (4) Slope Safety and Geotechnical Standards
Controlling Officer: Director of Civil Engineering
Director of Bureau: Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works
Question: (a) In respect of “detailed stability studies completed on government
slopes and slopes upgraded”, the target number for year 2003 is 250.
What proportion of the number of studies and upgrading required is
this? How does this proportion compare with those for 2001 and
2002?
(b) In respect of “safety screening studies completed on man-made private
slopes”, the target number for 2003 is less than the actual number
studied in 2001 and 2002. What is the reason for this reduction?
What proportion of the number of safety screening studies required is
this? How does this proportion compare with those for 2001 and
2002?
Asked by: Hon. TAM Yiu-chung
Reply: (a) The Government has pledged to upgrade 2500 substandard
government slopes and carry out safety-screening studies on 3000
private slopes under the 10-year Extended Landslip Preventive
Measures (LPM) Programme between 2000 and 2010. The target
number of detailed stability studies on government slopes and slopes
to be upgraded is 250 for 2003. This is 10% of the overall target for
the 10-year Extended LPM Programme. The targets in both 2001
and 2002 were also 250 and they were successfully met.
Gototop
(b) Each year, we set the target of completing “safety-screening” studies
on 300 private slopes to enable us to complete 3000 such studies
under the 10-year Extended LPM Programme. In 2001 and 2002, we
completed 316 and 320 studies respectively, exceeding the annual
target of completing such studies on 300 slopes. For 2003, we have
the same target of completing “safety-screening” studies on 300
private slopes (i.e. 10% of the overall target). The actual number of
such studies completed in 2003 will be available in the report of next
year.
Signature
Name in block letters T K TSAO
Post Title Director of Civil Engineering
Date 19 March 2003