3
5.
But the Civil Service is not a vast inchoate
mass: it is a dynamic organisation comprising more than
60 departments and free standing agencies, engaged in an
immense range of activities and manned by a variety of
departmental grades and common service cadres. So I pick
up a point made
by
Mr P K Yeung: in OUT desire to
contain the size of the Civil Service, work pressures
which are sometimes, inevitably, unevenly spread and
morale, particularly at middle and lower levels, must not
be casually overlooked.
6.
Mr P K Yeung also spoke of the valuable work of
the Director of Audit in drawing attention to waste and
inefficiency wherever it Occurs. May I assure Mr Yeung
that the Director's criticisms do not fall on deaf ears.
The Public Accounts Committee makes certain of that!
Indeed, as systems and procedures are progressively
improved, there have been fewer instances of uncollected
revenue and wasted expenditure. While there is no room
for complacency, it is significant how relatively
irregularities there are having regard to the very large
volume of transactions entered into each year.
few
Page 195Page 196