HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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advertisements on USD's behalf. In fact, the ISD provides such service to all government departments (including the Urban Services Department) free of charge. As regards the level of discount, since the ISD is responsible for advertising on behalf of all government departments and the total annual advertising expenses incurred amounts to about $41 million, it is able to secure a more favourable rate for the Council than if negotiations are done by the Urban Services Department itself (the total annual advertising expenses of USD being about $10 million). Through the ISD, the Urban Services Department may enjoy a discount of as high as 67% in advertising rates.
MISS ADA WONG YING-KAY (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have a few follow-up questions. I have read the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements 1973. In Chapter VI there are arrangements for staff of USD but I do not see any specifications that the personnel required by us must be deployed from other government departments and that we may only recruit contract staff when the relevant government department has difficulties in deploying civil servants to fill our vacant posts. I would like to ask in which part of the Memorandum is this provision stated.
Secondly, in paragraph 3 of the reply, it is said that the establishment of USD consists mainly of civil servants and contract staff will only be recruited as and when necessary. Who decides whether there is such need? Does the Council have a certain procedure to define such need?
Thirdly, according to the Memorandum, I wish to know whether the Urban Council has the authority to exercise flexibility in deciding which posts are to be filled by seconded officers and which posts are to be filled by recruited officers. If possible, we could contract out the work for some posts, such as street cleansing, PR work and management of sports grounds. I would like to know whether the Council has this authority. Mr. Chairman, the last question refers to the placing of advertisements in newspapers and magazines through ISD. In what way does the Council have deciding power in respect of the selection of newspapers and decide the size of the advertisements? Take Film Festival as an example, does the PIU have full power to decide everything or do we take part in the decision on the selection of the newspapers and the size of the advertisements?
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):-I will answer the follow-up questions of Miss Ada WONG briefly. Regarding the first question, my reply is made according to Clause 1.2 of the 1973 MAA which says that the USD remains as a government's department, as I already mentioned in my reply earlier. It is also stated in Clause 1.3 that the USD should follow the legislation of the Hong Kong Government. According to these 2 clauses of the 1973 MAA, the establishment of the USD should consist of civil service posts which have to be held by civil servants. According to the provision of the Civil Service Regulations, heads of grades are responsible for recruitment matters. Therefore, vacancies of the non-departmental grade posts in the USD will be
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