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that the Force was still 49 men or 11% under strength. This is rather more than the average rate of recruitment over each of the last three years, which works out at about 46 recruits per year, and, taking into account wastage, which on previous form is likely to be about 20 a year, the Force may not even be up to its existing establishment by the end of the financial year 1968/69. Nevertheless, in the Staff Estimates for 1968/69 the Department has asked for 39 additional posts, the equivalent of an increase of 8.2% in the total strength of the Force. Provided that these posts are approved recruiting should not be held up for lack of vacancies even if recruitment goes a great deal better than expected.
Recruitment will probably not increase substantially until improvements have been made in the conditions of service of the Force and, as I have already said, initial discussions on this subject have been held with the Establishment Branch. I must however stress that up to now these have done no more than consider those areas in which it might be possible to effect alterations which will not upset the balance between the Hawker Control Force and the other uniformed branches of Government service. Promotion ratios in the lower ranks offer some scope in this respect perhaps. Other areas include the overall structure of the Force, with the possibility of creating additional posts near the top, and perhaps a case can be made for special allowances.
None of these are simple matters which can be resolved without reference to the ultimate size of the Force itself, its relationship to other parts of Government, and the economic situation of the Colony. Much detailed discussion has yet to take place and spectacular results are unlikely.
DR. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, when the Hawker Control Force was first established, was it the intention, or was it the hope, that they would eventually be able to control the hawkers throughout the urban area?
CHAIRMAN: Could I ask the chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee to answer that question? (Laughter).
MR. BERNACCHI:- I think a distinction has to be drawn between the recommendation of the special select committee on hawkers which recommended the creation of the Hawker Control Force and the eventual decision of Government. I think everyone in this Council had the impression at the time, and certainly it was the impression of the special sub-committee, that the creation would ultimately be such as to enable
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the police to be relieved of all responsibility in the control of Hawkers, which would mean a very large Hawker Control Force. Government, on the other hand, decided, for better or for worse, to create a very small force and that is the position at present but, of course, it is still I think the hope of many members that ultimately we shall have the control of the hawkers that we licence wherever they hawk.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, is the present establishment of the Force sufficient to cope with the problem of hawking in the urban area? If it is, why is there such a tremendous problem now?
CHAIRMAN:- The establishment is not sufficient. That answers the second question.
DR. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, thank you. Since the establishment is not sufficient, what steps are being taken to get the establishment to be sufficient?
CHAIRMAN:- I tried to indicate in my written answer that there is little point in pushing up the establishment to a high figure if one is unable to fill the existing establishment. The existing establishment is 442 and we are 49 men short, and it takes a year to recruit 46 men. During that year we lose 20 through wastage, so there is another five months' worth of recruitment cancelled out. In addition, we have asked for 39 additional posts in next year's estimates. The effect of these factors is that if the present rate of recruitment were to double, if it became twice as fast as it is now and has been for the last three years, we would still have enough posts up to the 31st March, 1969, to be able to take on every single suitable recruit, and we should by that time, of course, have had the previous draft estimates in the Autumn of 1968 and we should be in a position to ask for a further increase in the establishment. If I were to fix some kind of theoretical ceiling figure that I thought the Force might one day develop into, it would be so much larger than the present figure, that it would find little practical chance of being accepted as long as the recruitment rate is what it is.
MR. BERNACCHI:- Mr. Chairman, your answer is entirely logical, but is it in fact right? It is a vicious circle in some ways. If we fix a figure, say, of 1,500, I think myself that we would have an enormous increase and influx in the number of recruits but, of course, if we fix the number at 1,500 and improved the conditions of the Hawker Control Force, I am of the opinion that we should get enough recruitment, at least to have 1,000 men on the ground.
CHAIRMAN:- Well, Sir, I am quite prepared to submit to the Establishment Officer an estimate of the total size of the Force required if it is to control all licensed and unlicensed hawkers without the aid of the police. Much preliminary work has already been done.
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