7.
Mr Chan Kam-chuen
made the point
that the
growth of the Civil Service over the last
decade
has
outstripped population growth. I should hope so. I can
see no logical connection
connection between the growth rates of
these two aggregates except in the most general policy
setting.
A better correlation would be with the GDP: in
the 10 years ending 1984, the GDP in real ΟΙ constant
price terms increased by 21/3rd
times whereas the
approved establishment of the Civil Service increased by
(only) just
just over a half. As I have said before, but I
shall say it again, the growth rate of public expenditure
(and, by extension, of the size of the Civil Service) is
essentially a function of public policy. Public policy
is determined by Executive Council, subject to the
financial authority of this Council, not by the Civil
Service acting on its own authority. In determining
public policy, a whole complex of considerations has
to
be taken into account. As the population grows, more
services and facilities, and thus more civil servants to
provide, them are required. At the same time, pressures
build
up
these
to improve the quality of
population-oriented services and facilities, especially
in the fields of health, education and social welfare,
and
these
invariably
involve
extra
manpower.
Additionally, as Our society becomes more complex and
sophisticated, a whole range of other services and
facilities have to be provided,
systems.
including regulatory