t
∞
布政司署
香港下亞畢 畢道
CONFIDENTIAL
*** OUR REF.: L/M (1) to CSBCR 12/80 HKK026/3
**YOUR REF..
Dear Philip,
никогоз
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
12 March 1981
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
2 3 MAR 1981
DECK OFFICER INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
스
arth MC,
Visit to Hong Kong, of Mr HL. Batchelor, Assistant General Secretary, Public Service International
M
Further to my letter of 13 February 1981, I now enclose copies of our formal reply to the Secretary of State's letter of 13 January 1981 and of the notes of my two meetings with Harry Batchelor on 1 and 2 December 1980.
2231
HKCK 026|11
(65A) 1950
There are one or two points which Harry Batchelor raised with Harry Hurst on which I would like to comment. As recorded in paragraph 3 of Harry Hurst's minute, Batchelor was critical of the way the Standing Commission's Report No. 4 was being handled. I should make it clear that the Standing Commission's normal practice when considering a particular subject is to carry out extensive consultations with both staff and management before deciding what advice to give to the Government. Once it has finalised its advice the Commission is under no obligation to, and does not, consult either staff or management a second time, but submits its report direct to the Governor for consideration by the Government.
This practice was followed in respect of Report No.4.
The Standing Commission set the ball rolling by issuing a consultative document on Civil Service Consultative Machinery. All civil service unions were invited to consider this document and to make any representations they wished. The Standing Commission did not formulate its advice to the Governor until after it had received and considered all these representations.
After the Commission had submitted its Report No.4 to the Governor, the Administration further consulted the Staff Side of the Senior Civil Service Council (in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 Agreement) before referring the Report to Executive Council for advice. Following acceptance of the Report by the Executive Council, it was widely circulated to all staff unions and departments for their views on how to implement the recommendations in the Report.
P. Morrice, Esq.,
Hong Kong & General Department, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London SW1A 2AH,
England.
CONFIDENTIAL
/... page 2