HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 3 February 1988
699
ators,
MR. YEUNG: Sir, will Government state as a result of the shortage of tr the extent of translation services required from private agencies or part-timers in the past two years and the expenditure incurred therefrom?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I do not have those details available. I will make them available to Mr. YEUNG PO-kwan. (See Annex I)
MR. CHAM: Sir, in using private agencies, how does Government ensure confidentiality of work contracted out to private agencies?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, by and large, the use of part-time agencies is limited to open meetings. If there is a requirement for confidentiality then government interpreters are used.
MRS. NG (in Cantonese): Sir, we have hundreds of advisory committees. I would like to know whether we have Chinese copies of all the documents to be discussed in these committees. If this is not so, when will the Government be able to provide discussion documents in both English and Chinese?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, although somewhat outside the scope of the original question, I will try to answer. There is a growing use, as Mrs. NG says, of Chinese in our boards and committees. The large majority of them are now provided with translations of papers available but not in all cases. We are expanding the programme, Sir, and we hope that the improvement will come over the coming years.
MR. YEUNG: Sir, will Government consider as a long-term policy sending more staff to pursue relevant courses on simultaneous intrepretation in overseas institutions and organisations with the objective of providing similar departmental training for our own staff on their return?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Yes, Sir. We already are making use of overseas training establishments for our simultaneous interpreters and they are then used in the way that Mr. YEUNG PO-kwan suggests.
DR. HO: Sir, is the present manning ratio favourable enough in terms of promotion so that translators will stay in the service?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I think the wastage rates over the past few years would suggest that it is still an attractive career for people in this profession. The wastage rate due to resignation, retirement, and transfer to other grades has only been about 20 officers per year for the last five years and, in terms of simultaneous interpreters, only two officers have left the grade since its establishment in 1971. So, in terms of the overall numbers, I think our wastage rates are acceptable.