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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
Home Affairs Department The main function of the Home Affairs Department is to gauge public reaction to government policies and activities and current affairs. Acting as a monitor of govern- ment performance, the department maintains close contact with most sectors of the community and stands a little apart from the main executive machinery of govern- ment. It keeps in touch with many unofficial bodies such as the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, kaifong associations, district and clansmen's associa- tions, Mutual Aid Committees, multi-storey building owners' corporations and religious and charitable organisations. However most of its efforts are directed towards the less affluent people of Hong Kong, finding out what their problems and needs are, and putting them in touch with the government agencies that can help them.
The department runs the City District Office scheme which was introduced in 1968 to improve communication between the government and the people. There are 10 City District Offices and 14 sub-offices in the crowded urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. These offices provide a point of contact with the govern- ment, where even the humblest citizen can go for help in the knowledge that he will be courteously treated, patiently heard and helpfully advised. A variety of services is offered, the best known being the public enquiry service which dealt with more than 3.5 million enquiries in 1978. This counter service can advise a citizen on almost any aspect of government policy and procedure, provide him with any forms he might need and help him fill them in. It also operates a 24-hour weather information service during typhoons and prolonged heavy rain-storms when the City District Offices are kept open to those who may be in need.
Through the co-ordination work carried out by City District Officers, people have become involved in community-orientated projects such as campaigns for fighting violent crime, cleaning the city, and recreation and culture, particularly for young people. People are also able to discuss public affairs through the medium of Area Committees which are serviced by City District Officers and their staff.
Much of the communication and community involvement work undertaken by the City District Offices is done through a network of Mutual Aid Committees. These were first formed in 1973 to encourage residents of multi-storey buildings to co-operate in tackling problems of security and cleanliness. At the end of 1978 there were 2,858 of these committees in the urban areas, an increase of 390 over 1977. The Mutual Aid Committee scheme has provided many people with a formalised system of communication with the government distinct from, and in addition to, other channels for complaint or redress of grievance.
Use of the Chinese Language
The steady growth of public business and the consequent increase in corre- spondence between government departments and the public, and the appointment of non-English-speaking people to serve on advisory boards and committees, has increased the demand for translations and interpretations of a high standard.
The government's policy is to accord Chinese equal status with English in govern- ment communications with the public and to promote the widest possible use of Chinese in government departments. To ensure conformity with the policy, continuous