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will be prepared and presented to the Recreation Select Committee for consideration.
6. MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG asked the following question (in Cantonese):---In view of criticism of staff expansion in the Civil Service generally, what has been the growth rate in the Council staff over the past two years and what rate of growth is anticipated in the 1982–83 financial year? Could I also be informed what control and review is exercised over the creation of new posts?
DR. KIM Y. S. CHAM, Chairman of THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):―This question concerns firstly the growth rate of Urban Council's staff over the past 2 years, secondly the expansion expected in 1982-83 and thirdly the control and review exercised over the creation of new posts on the Urban Council's establishment.
The answer to the first part of this question is that the growth rate of Council's staff in the past 2 years has been for 1980-81 an increase of 1.6%, that is, from 16,882 to 17,152, and for 1981-82 an increase of 2.4%, that is, from 17,152 to 17,562.
The answer to the second part of the question is that the provision for 1982-83 is for an expected increase of 922 posts or 5.25%, subject to the usual examination of each individual staffing proposal.
The answer to the third part of the question is that there is a series of checks and double checks in the procedure leading up to the creation of new posts. In the first place, the section concerned is required to submit a detailed staffing proposal in accordance with the McKinsey format, which is used by all Government departments. After preliminary examination at Regional or Divisional level, the submission is forwarded, normally by an officer at the Assistant Director level, to the Headquarters of the Sub-department concerned. At this stage, the case is critically examined by the Complementing and Grading Unit, which conducts staff inspections as necessary. If the case is supported by the Complementing and Grading Unit, it is referred for consideration to the Departmental Establishment Committee chaired by the Deputy Director of Urban Services. This Committee includes amongst its membership the Director of City Services, the Director of Cultural Services, and representatives of the Finance and Civil Service Branches of the Government Secretariat.
Subsequently, if the proposals are agreed by the Departmental Establishment Committee, they are submitted to the Urban Council for approval by the functional Select Committee as well as by the Administration and Finance Select Committees. Only when all these stages have been completed will the post or posts be formally created.
The procedures I have referred to up to now are those which precede the creation of posts. After their creation, control is exercised through the Management Audit Unit which was established in January 1981. This Unit conducts regular reviews to ensure, among other things, that staff provided for specific purposes are still required and are performing the correct function.
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More detailed information on management control procedures, together with facts and statistics, are contained in a consolidated paper entitled 'Management Control: End of the Year 1981-82 Report' which was issued to Members on 25 March 1982.
In general, I think that the figures which I have quoted for staff increases in the past 2 years indicate that staff expansion in the Urban Services Department has been at an acceptably low level in spite of the very rapid increase in the Council's activities which has taken place. Inevitably, it will be harder to find posts which can be deleted and offset against the new posts that will be required. Nevertheless, I believe that the procedures for controlling increases which I have described are generally adequate and the Administration Select Committee will be keeping a close eye on all new applications.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, according to Dr. CHAM'S reply, the increased rate for 1980-81 was 1.6% and that for 1981-82 was 2.4%. It is estimated that for 1982–83, the increase is 5.25%. In other words, we are doubling the increase every year. Will this trend continue, i.e. will we increase in 1983-84 by twice the same amount? I have another question, why is it that we have this jump in percentage, i.e. from 2.4% to 5.25% from 1981-82 to 1982-83?
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I think the percentages are just coincidental. I could point out that in the past two years, the department has deleted a lot of posts and added a number of others, so the actual increase is 1.6% and 2.4% respectively. Of course, to delete posts and to create new ones is an exercise which is on-going. However, because we have done a lot of work in the past two years, next year we can expect to have a faster growth rate. On the other hand, next year, we will also have a lot of new facilities, say for instance, the Hung Hom Stadium and Ko Shan Road open-air theatre, and we would thus require additional staff.
ADJOURNMENT - 4.33 p.m.
CHAIRMAN (in English):—That concludes the business of today's meeting. The Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 11 May 1982 at 4.00 p.m.
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