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civil service, to adjust rapidly to changing demands. (It could, of course, be argued that this points to the stability of the system.)
5.10.
As regards (b) we were tempted to draw parallels with the Urban Council/Urban Services
Department type of relationship.
In this case the
powers and obligations of the Council are prescribed in legislation; the Council is able (subject to the power of the Legislative Council to amend or repeal) to make subsidiary legislation and is free to decide its administrative practices. The executive arm of the Council is a Government department which remains subject to civil service regulation, discipline and so forth.
5.11.
Should a Statutory Authority, akin to the Urban Council be established, it would remain for the legislature to enact primary legislation for the regulation of shipping, while enforcement would be the responsibility of the Authority.
5.12.
As regards (c) for the new registry to be independent under a statutory authority
-
we felt that
this would be going too far.