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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I am sure that all Members are determined to improve the Department's administrative efficiency and service qualities. Commissioning a consultancy firm to carry out research is a feasible and effective start. The firm will be able to stand out as an independent body as well as to avoid obstacles caused by the Department. With professional knowledge in the field, it will be able to offer solutions to our present problems. So with these remarks, we move this motion. I hope Members will support the motion.
MR. WU CHI-wai (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-As Ms. Ada WONG Ying-kay has moved an amendment to the original motion, I invite Ms. WONG to move her amendment and speak on it.
(4) (b) Ms. ADA WONG YING-KAY moved the following amendment under Standing Order 21(13):-
'RESOLVED that in response to the changing demand for manpower resources arising from the Statement of Aims and Five-Year Plans of various Select Committees, the Council seriously consider appointing an independent consultancy firm to review the establishment and organizational structure of the Urban Services Department with a view to finding out more cost-effective ways to implement the work of various Select Committees.'
She said (in Cantonese):-Please allow me to move the amendment standing in my name.
Mr. Chairman, my amended motion today is different from the original motion on two points. Firstly, my amendment seeks a better focus on the original motion. An overall review is at this stage not feasible because we have over 17,000 staff members in the Department, being the largest civil government department. We would not know where to start if we seek an overall review of all branches and establishments in different divisions. I hope we can focus on matters by asking Select Committees to draft Five-Year Plans and Statements of Aims as guiding principles.
Secondly, the amendment seeks to ask Members to perform their duties by scrutinising topics for review. After that, we can proceed to commission consultancy firms for more effective, independent and objective reviews of major topics of greater importance. So, I think the purpose of my amendment is the same as that of Mr. Chan Choi-hi's original motion. We both aim at a review of establishment. Even Mr. Lam Man-fai's amendment to be moved later on shares the same purpose, the only differences lie in the mode and speed.
In fact, I hope Members agree that there is an urgency for an establishment review. To conduct a review does not indicate that the performance of the
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