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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
reviews of the establishments of certain major departments which had been under consideration for some time.
The cost of the Public Service is reflected in the expenditure on personal emoluments. For the financial year 1971-2 the estimated expenditure on personal emoluments, excluding pensions, is about $999 million. This represents approximately 35 per cent of the estimated total expenditure included in the Budget.
The establishment of each post in the Public Service requires the approval of the Finance Committee of Legislative Council, assisted by the advice of its Establishment Sub-Committee, which examines all requests received from departments for additional posts, both for new projects and to meet increasing work-loads, to ensure that staff is properly utilised and that new posts are provided only when they are essential.
Recruitment and promotions to the Public Service are, with certain exceptions, subject to the advice and overall scrutiny of the Public Services Commission, a body independent of the Govern- ment, set up in 1950. Sir Charles Hartwell, the full-time chairman of the Commission since May 1967, retired on November 14, 1971, and was succeeded by Mr D. R. Holmes. Local leading citizens are appointed as members of the Commission on a part-time voluntary basis.
Overall responsibility for recruitment, promotion, training and conditions of service in the Public Service is exercised by the Establishment Branch of the Colonial Secretariat.
In 1971, the Government set up a Salaries Commission with wide terms of reference covering the general structure of salaries and levels of remuneration of those members of the Public Service on Model Salary Scales 2-10; conditions of service and fringe benefits covering leave, passages, housing arrangements and education allowances; and the general principles governing hours of work and overtime. The Chairman was Sir George Mallaby, KCMG, OBE, and the memders were the Honourable Lo Kwee- seong, OBE, JP, Mr A. G. H. Gardner-Brown, CMG, Mr C. J. Hall, MBE, and Mr Li Fook-wo, OBE, JP, with Mr James Morgan, CMG as adviser. The Commission reported in July.
Another event of considerable importance for the Public Service which occurred on May 14, 1971, was the bringing into force of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. This new enactment replaces the Prevention of Corruption Ordinance (Cap 215) and contains