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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
monthly. It consists of the chairmen of rural committees, the unofficial New Terri- tories Justices of the Peace and 15 ordinary members elected every two years by the Full Council. The Full Council also elects the chairman and two vice-chairmen of the Kuk, through whom close contact is maintained with the Secretary for the New Territories.
Use of the Chinese Language
The government's policy is to accord Chinese equal status with English in govern- ment communication with the public and to promote the widest possible use of Chinese in government departments. With the growth of public interest in government affairs and consequent increased correspondence between government departments and the public, and with the appointment of non-English speaking people to serve on advisory boards and committees, the demand for bilingual translation and inter- pretation has also increased.
During the year the Chinese language division of the Home Affairs Department continued to provide high quality translation of a complex nature. Important assign- ments undertaken included the Governor's policy speech at the opening of the Legislative Council, the Financial Secretary's Budget speech, the Hong Kong Annual Report (Hong Kong 1977), the Report of the Commission on the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Fourth Report of the Television Advisory Board, the Child Care Centres Ordinance and Regulations, and the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance.
With a view to promoting public interest in the study of the Chinese language and raising the standard of Chinese among the younger members of the community, the division sponsored a youth cultural and arts competition which included contests in translation, Chinese writing, speech making, calligraphy and painting.
Advisory Committees
An important feature of the administration system in Hong Kong is the compre- hensive network of more than 100 advisory bodies_on which government officers and members of the public sit together to formulate advice to the government on matters of major importance. Examples are such bodies as the Board of Education, Medical Development Advisory Committee, Social Welfare Advisory Committee, Labour Advisory Board, Trade and Industry Advisory Board, Transport Advisory Committee and the Action Committee Against Narcotics.
Grievances
In Hong Kong there are several well-developed channels for the examination of complaints from members of the public and for helping people who have difficulty in their dealings with government departments. Probably the most commonly used channel is an appeal or complaint to the department concerned, which will ensure a review at a higher level. Another method is a letter to the Governor or the Chief Secretary, which will also ensure that the matter is reconsidered. Complaints and representations are also dealt with by the office run by unofficial members of the