CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
on matters affecting judicial officers. The Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on the salaries and conditions of service of the disciplined services. The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters affecting all other civil servants.
A new civil service housing package, which comprises a Home Financing Scheme, an Accommodation Allowance Scheme and an improved Home Purchase Scheme, was introduced in October 1990. The objective of the housing package is to make more effective use of the resources provided for civil service housing benefits and to encourage home ownership among civil servants. Over 17000 officers are currently receiving benefits under the schemes.
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The government fully recognises the value of regular communication and consultation with staff. There are four central consultative councils the Senior Civil Service Council, the Model Scale 1 Staff Consultative Council, the Police Force Council and the Disciplined Services Consultative Council. Departmental consultative committees, established in most government departments, constitute an important part of the consultative machinery. In addition, individual members of the Public Service or staff associations have ready access to the departmental or grade management, as well as to the Civil Service Branch. Staff are encouraged to make suggestions to improve the efficiency of the service under the Staff Suggestions Scheme, which was recently revised to enable individual departments to consider and reward valuable suggestions, rather than having all suggestions considered -centrally.
In recognition of staff commitment and contributions, long-serving civil servants are granted awards under the Long Service Travel Award Scheme and the Long and Meritorious Service Certificate Scheme. Those with 30 years of meritorious service are also presented with a gold pin. Civil servants with 20 or more years of service on retirement are given a retirement souvenir.
Traditionally, the terms of employment offered to civil servants have been divided into two major categories overseas and local. Whether an officer should be offered overseas or local terms was determined before he joined the service and could not be altered after the appointment, irrespective of changing circumstances. A review of this policy was conducted with a view to rationalising the position of permanent residents, whose rights are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and making provisions for the future as stipulated under the Basic Law. A two-stage approach was adopted.
As an interim measure, overseas agreement officers who are permanent residents of Hong Kong could apply for transfer to local terms for one contract only, subject to certain conditions. These conditions include service need, satisfactory conduct and performance, and physical fitness. However, the Public Officers (Variation of Conditions of Service) (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance, introduced into the Legislative Council as a private member's Bill, suspended the interim measure until April 1994. The ordinance was enacted in December despite opposition by the government.
For the long term, the government has proposed bringing in standardised conditions of service, and defining for the first time who should in future be regarded as 'local'. The objective is to converge with the Basic Law, while still complying with existing laws. A wide-ranging consultation exercise is being conducted and a consolidated proposal will be developed, with the intention of discussing the matter with the Chinese authorities in due
course.
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