1
6.
present.
7.
CONFIDENTIAL
- 3-
7 calligraphists or assistants
3 library clerks
This roughly covers the establishment of the department at
It shows that out of 58 professional officers 27 are engaged on specialized publicity services which would have to be offered to any information machine however constituted. They have at present the support of a very small group of supporting staff: an executive officer, 1 personal secretary, 1 Shorthand Audio-typist, a library clerk, an office attendant and several messengers,
8.
The rest of the professional staff, and the bulk of the support staff are devoted to information work and most of them to press work, preparing and translating press releases and answering press questions.
9.
In the press division, and leaving aside the radio news operation, the single S.1.0. posted to London and the S.I.0. normally posted to Police Headquarters there are under the chief press officers:
1
Senior Information Officers
6 Information Officers
10
Assistant Information Officers Class I
4 Assistant Information Officers Class II
10.
The senior information officer acts as editor of the daily bul- letin and executive supervisor of the work of the press room.
11.
The information officers compile the releases in consultation with departmental sources and are concerned with translation.
12.
The enquiry desk is manned from the ranks of the Assistant Information Officers Class I (and even more regularly by the lower grade of all, Assistant Information Officers Class II, since recently most of their work has been done by 2 officers Mr. KC Hau-leung and Mr. K.A, Azan who are substantively Assistant Information Officers Class II.) They refer different questions to the Senior Information Officer.
13.
The question is how much of this organization ought to be centrally retained and how much could usefully be distributed among important departments.