CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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To meet common departmental needs, the Civil Service Training Centre conducts a wide range of management, language and computer courses, and co-ordinates the management training undertaken by public servants at local and overseas institutes. It also provides advice and assistance to departments in planning and implementing their training programmes.
The China Studies Programme, which aims to provide officers with a better under- standing of various aspects of life and government in China, is being strengthened. Seminars and talks are conducted for officers at various levels. Chinese studies courses in China and familiarisation visits to China_are also arranged to give officers first-hand experience of the country. Existing management development programmes have also been expanded to include a China dimension.
The programmes offered by the Senior Staff Course Centre play an important role in the training and development offered to senior public servants. The centre emphasises 'learning from doing'. Participants analyse real administrative and organisational problems, and make proposals for improvement.
Government Records Service
The Government Records Service is responsible for the management of government records. It undertakes two different but related programmes: the Records Management Office is responsible for a records management programme to handle records at their current and non-current stages, and the Public Records Office for an archive adminis- tration programme to look after the preservation and use of permanent records.
The appropriate management of records affects the efficiency of business in government. It is the responsibility of the Records Management Office to oversee and develop a comprehensive system to manage records effectively and efficiently, from their creation to their 'death' or destruction, when all useful purposes have been served. The aim is to have fewer records to store, better records to use and more economical record management costs to finance.
The Public Records Office is one of the largest local sources of information for historical and other studies relating to Hong Kong.
Language
The official languages of Hong Kong are English and Chinese. The Official Languages Ordinance, enacted in 1974, provides that both languages possess equal status and enjoy equality of use for the purposes of communication between the government or any public officer and members of the public. Correspondence in Chinese from the public is replied to by government departments either in Chinese or in English accompanied by a Chinese version. Major reports and publications of public interest issued by the government are available in both languages. Simultaneous interpretation is provided at meetings of the Legislative Council, Urban Council, Regional Council and other government boards and committees where English and Chinese are used.
A Bilingual Laws Advisory Committee was set up in October 1988 to advise the Governor in Council on, among other things, the authentication of Chinese texts of existing laws which are being translated. Following the declaration of the Chinese version of Chapter 1 of the Laws of Hong Kong, the Interpretation and General Clauses