WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1980
SO EVEN A DOUBLING OF REAL EXPENDITURE ON ROADS, WHICH COULD NOT BE ACCOMMODATED, EITHER IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE USE OF RESOURCES, WOULD FALL FAR SHORT OF MEETING THE PROBLEM, HE SAID.
+ IN MY VIEW, THEREFORE, WE CANNOT CONTINUE INDEFINITELY WITH UNRESTRAINED GROWTH IN VEHICLE NUMBERS AND IN VEHICLE USAGE IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PEOPLE AND GOODS MOVING ON THE ROADS AND WE WILL NEED TO ADDRESS OURSELVES SERIOUSLY TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE VERY LONG, MR JONES ADDED.
SIZE OF CIVIL SERVICE NOT EXCESSIVE
*****
THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE HON MARTIN ROWLANDS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE PRESENT SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS NOT EXCESSIVE AND THE LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT WOULD BE IMPROVED BY STRENGTHENING THE POLICY AND MANAGEMENT LEVELS.
+THAT IN TURN WOULD REDUCE THE RATE AT WHICH THE CIVIL SERVICE WOULD OTHERWISE NEED TO GROW IN FUTURE, MR ROWLANDS SAID
AT THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
MR ROWLANDS SAID THAT HAVING LISTENED TO MEMBERS' SPEECHES IN THE DEBATE, IT OCCURRED TO HIM THAT IN MUCH OF WHAT WAS SET OUT TO DO, IT WAS NOT ECONOMIC OR FISCAL CONSTRAINTS WHICH WERE LIMITING THE CIVIL SERVICE'S ACHIEVEMENT, BUT RATHER THE SHORTAGE OF KEY STAFF IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.
+THIS PROBLEM WAS RECOGNISED A FEW YEARS AGO IN RELATION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE CLASS AND IT WAS DECIDED TO ADOPT A DELIBERATE POLICY OF RECRUITMENT TO MEET LIKELY FUTURE DEMANDS, HE SAID.
+THAT POLICY IS NOW BEGINNING TO BEAR FRUIT: THE ADMINISTRATIVE CLASS WILL HAVE GROWN FROM 200 OFFICERS IN 1977 TO OVER 300 BY THE END OF 1980, SO ENABLING US TO MEET A VARIETY OF FRESH STAFF COMMITMENTS WHICH COULD NOT HAVE BEEN FORESEEN TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO,+ HE ADDED.
MR ROWLANDS SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOW CONSIDERING WHETHER TO ADOPT A SIMILAR RECRUITMENT POLICY FOR THE EXECUTIVE CLASS, WHOSE 1 000 MEMBERS FULFILLED A VITAL ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, AS WELL AS IN SEVERAL KEY POLICY AND OPERATIONAL AREAS.
+AS AN IMMEDIATE STEP I AM PROPOSING THIS YEAR TO OFFER APPOINTMENT TO AN ADDITIONAL 60 OR SO UNIVERSITY GRADUATES SO THAT WE MAY BE BETTER ABLE TO MEET FUTURE COMMITMENTS, PARTICULARLY IN CITY DISTRICT WORK AND STAFF MANAGEMENT, + MR ROWLANDS SAID.
MR ROWLANDS SAID HE SUSPECTED THAT THERE WERE OTHER AREAS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE WHERE THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF RECRUITING TO FILL EXISTING VACANCIES IN THE LOWER RANKS WAS A PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF +UNDER-MANAGEMENT+ AND +OVER-STRETCH+.
/THE GOVERNMENT