CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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United Kingdom firms about opportunities for investment in Hong Kong industries. The office also provides assistance to Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom, including Hong Kong students, supervises the recruitment and training of Hong Kong public servants in the United Kingdom as well as providing publicity services aimed at projecting Hong Kong's image there. In view of Britain's role in the implementation of the Joint Declaration and her constitutional responsibilities for Hong Kong until 1997, the London Office will continue to occupy a special place among Hong Kong's overseas offices.
Details of representation overseas are at Appendix 6.
Public Service
The Public Service provides the staff for all government departments and other units of the Administration. With Hong Kong's centralised form of government, the Public Service operates a wide range of services which in many countries would be administered by other public authorities. These include medical services, public works and utilities, urban cleansing and public health, education, fire services and the police force. The departments in charge of these areas, namely, the Medical and Health Department, with an establish- ment of 26 036, the Lands and Works group of departments (22 344), the Municipal Services group of departments (26 415), the Education Department (6 533), the Fire Services Department (7 081) and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (31 695) account for 67 per cent of the establishment of the entire Public Service.
To meet the demands for new and improved services, the size of the Public Service in 1986-7 was increased by 2.3 per cent over that of the previous year. At April 1, 1987, the total strength of the service was 179 053, more than 98 per cent of this number being local officers. -
Responsibility for the management of the Public Service lies with the Civil Service Branch of the Government Secretariat. The branch deals with such matters as appoint- ments, pay and conditions of service, staff management, manpower planning, training and discipline and is also the focal point for consultation with the principal staff associations.
Recruitment and promotions to the middle and senior ranks of the Public Service are subject to the advice of the Public Service Commission, which is independent of the government. The commission has a full-time chairman and leading citizens serving as members.
The government is advised on matters relating to pay and conditions of service by two independent bodies. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters affecting directorate officers (the 1 000 or so most senior public servants). The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service deals with all other public servants. During the year, the two advisory bodies tendered their advice on the pay structure of several individual grades. A Pay Level Survey was also completed by an independent firm of consultants. The survey aimed to establish whether or not the remuneration of public servants, including both salaries and fringe benefits, was broadly in line with that of employees in the private sector doing comparable work. Consultations were subsequently held with staff group representatives on how the general results of the survey should be reflected in the level of public service remuneration in the future. At the same time, Public Service housing benefits were reviewed with the aim of bringing those more into line with the private sector and encouraging home ownership.
During the year, arrangements to permit public servants occupying co-operative housing flats to obtain title to these flats were implemented. Revised leave and passage arrange- ments for public servants were also introduced. Another major new development in 1987