CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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the wide range of contacts between Hong Kong Government departments and their counterparts in Guangdong Province, particularly in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
Close and effective cross-border co-operation has developed in such diverse areas as opening new border crossing points and transport links, and in coping with environmental pollution and flooding problems, as well as on questions concerning immigration, customs, postal services and telecommunications. The Political Adviser's office is also one of the channels of communication between the Hong Kong Government and Foreign and Commonwealth missions in Hong Kong. These missions do, however, deal directly with the relevant departments of the Hong Kong Government over most day-to-day matters.
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 Hospital Services Department and Department of Health (with an establishment of 22 520 and 5 302 respectively), the Lands and Works group of departments (23 900), the Municipal Services group of departments (27 693), the Education Department (6 841), the Fire Services Department (7 563), and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (33 604) account for 64 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 1988-9 was increased by three per cent over the previous financial year. At April 1, 1989, the total strength of the service was 186 642, over 98 per cent of this number being local officers. It is structured into some 436 grades or job categories in administrative, professional, technical and manual fields, with 1 197 ranks or job levels.
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, train- ing and discipline. It 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 four 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 committee published its 10th report in June 1989. The government accepted the main recommendations of the report concerning the grouping of departments, the ranking of individual posts and conditions of service, but deferred a decision on proposals for a restructuring of the directorate pay scale.
The Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters affecting judicial officers. In November 1988, the government implemented the committee's recommendation to establish a separate pay scale for judicial officers.
Arising from the report of an independent review committee, a Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service was appointed in February 1989 to advise on the salaries and conditions of service of the disciplined services.