It has been the practice to take these three Votes together. They are closely related to one another. Vote 9 bears the salaries and expenses of the administrative and technical staffs of the Office of Public Works which is responsible for the services covered by Votes 10 and 11. Vote 10 provides the necessary funds for the erection, maintenance and furnishing of Government offices and other State-owned premises throughout the country, for the erection of major military buildings, the maintenance of parks and State harbours, for the construction of airports, and for arterial drainage and a number of other minor activities. Vote 11 is a small Vote dealing only with the management of Haulbowline in so far as that island remains in civilian control.
As regards Vote 9, there is nothing of a revolutionary nature in this year's proposals. The figure for Vote 9, £143,842, differs from that for the previous year by £1,347, a casual increase due mainly to the emergency bonus increase recently granted to the lower-paid grades in the Civil Service. Of the officers whose salaries are borne on this Vote, 23 are on loan to other Departments.
Vote 10—the Vote for Public Works and Buildings—amounts to £1,005,365, a reduction of £82,740 on last year's figure. The two largest items making up the total are sub-head B: New Works at £580,000, and sub-head C: Maintenance and Supplies at £200,000. The provision for New Works is down this year by almost £100,000. The growing difficulties in obtaining supplies of essential building materials, timber, structural and reinforcing steel, electrical and heating equipment have compelled us to restrict our building programme to the minimum. We have been experimenting and improvising, with a considerable measure of success in certain directions in an effort to overcome these difficulties, and we will continue to do so. The large number of token provisions which appear in the detailed Estimates give some indication of the extent to which it has been found impossible to proceed with works which are desirable and would in normal conditions be considered necessary. Difficulties of supply have also produced problems in the purely maintenance services, but not to the same extent.
The provision for grants for building and improving national schools has been retained at last year's figure, £250,000. Expenditure under this head last year reached the peak figure of £240,000. This is in some measure due to the fact that a number of large school-buildings in the newly built-up city areas were in hands. Progress has inevitably been slowed down even in these cases; in the more remote rural areas supply difficulties are becoming daily more onerous, costs are increasing and transport curtailments have further contributed to restricting output. We are doing the best we can in the adverse circumstances of the time to keep this important service going.
The joint Headquarters of the Departments of Industry and Commerce and Supplies were completed and occupied during the year, as were also the employment exchanges at Hoey's Court and Kingsland Park. Progress on the remaining works was maintained at a reasonably satisfactory standard having regard to the emergency conditions.
The remaining sub-heads, with the exception of the drainage provisions, call for little comment. There is a reduction in the furniture provision due to some extent to the difficulties of procuring furniture; rents and fuel costs show small increases arising from expanding requirements. Expenditure on these services is kept under close and continuous observation in the interests of economy. The fuel available is now practically confined to turf and coke, of which we have a modest reserve, but prudence dictates that provision should be made to purchase supplies to cover our annual consumption of these commodities.
In the Drainage sub-heads appears a new item—the River Fergus Drainage—for which £17,500 is provided. The Fergus Act became law about the end of April, and the necessary works are in progress.
Considerable progress has been made in the preparation of the Comprehensive Drainage Bill, pending the enactment of which, as the House is aware, no new drainage works other than the Fergus will be undertaken. The Bill will, I hope, shortly be ready for introduction.
The Haulbowline Vote is in the usual form and shows a casual reduction of £350 on the previous year. It contains no feature on which it is necessary to comment.