CONFIDENTIAL
XCC(93)34
19
(a)
(b)
(c)
We recommend that -
a simple organisational chart, together with a directory on the organisation of business in the Government Secretariat should be made available to the public through the City and New Territories Administration's Public Enquiry Counters;
major departments which have frequent contact with the public should provide similar directories at their enquiry or reception counters; and
these departments should be encouraged to publish annual reports to promote public understanding of their areas of responsibility and working procedures.
Improved access to old files
20
The current administrative Public Records (Access) Rules allow public access to unclassified records older than 30 years held by the Public Records Office (PRO). Classified records (i.e., confidential, secret and top secret records) are, however, closed indefinitely and public inspection is not allowed except with the approval of the relevant Branch Secretary. Other countries usually operate a fixed closed period policy for all categories of public records, ranging between 20 and 60 years, with 30 years being the most common practice.
21
We recommend amending the Public Records (Access) Rules to allow public access to classified records, in addition to unclassified ones, 30 years after their closure. This will bring us in line with the practice in most other developed countries. To protect particularly sensitive information (such as deliberations of the Executive Council, information relating to security, intelligence, defence, international relations and foreign confidences, or the investigation and prosecution of offences), a longer closure period for individual files or documents will be allowed under specified guidelines with the approval of the Chief Secretary.
22
The PRO currently holds about 4 000 classified files created before 1963, which will be open for public inspection if the 30-year rule is now extended to them. To protect particularly sensitive information, branches and departments will have to vet the files before allowing public