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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983
TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE WILL TAKE TIME
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SIR PHILIP
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE ANY USEFUL PREDICTION AS TO HOW LONG THE SEARCH FOR ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE WOULD TAKE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
+THE PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED ARE COMPLEX AND THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL, THEREFORE, TAKE TIME, HE SAID AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS.
WHILE EXPRESSING SYMPATHY WITH DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI'S CALL FOR PERIODIC ANNOUNCEMENTS TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY AND SPECULATION, SIR PHILIP SAID THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO THINK OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
SIR PHILIP SAID THAT IT WOULD BE EVIDENT FROM THE SCALE AND AMBITION OF THE PLANS OUTLINED BY THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS JUST HOW DETERMINED THE GOVERNMENT WAS TO BUILD FOR FURTHER PROSPERITY.
+CLEARLY, IN THIS CONTEXT, IT MAY BE ASSUMED THAT THE SEARCH FOR ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR FUTURE IS BEING, AND WILL BE, PURSUED VIGOROUSLY, HE SAID.
INTENSE SPECULATION ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHILE UNDERSTANDABLE, WAS NOT A FRUITFUL PASTIME, HE SAID,
SIR PHILIP ALSO SPOKE ON POINTS RAISED BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN WHO HAD CALLED FOR A FUNDAMENTAL RE-APPRAISAL OF THE GOVERNMENT MACHINERY AND ITS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE, FOR REFORM OF BUREAUCRATIC PROCEDURES AND FOR A CONTINUING REVIEW OF POLICIES.
*THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS COMPLICATED, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS, BY THE NEED TO RECONCILE MANY CONFLICTING CONSIDERATIONS.
+ INEVITABLY, THEREFORE, THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS A SOMEWHAT ARGUMENTATIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS, + HE EXPLAINED.
SIR PHILIP SAID, I SEE NO NECESSITY FOR -- AND EVEN LESS WISDOM IN -- WHAT MISS DUNN DESCRIBED AS A FUNDAMENTAL RE-APPRAISAL ' OF THE ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT, EVEN IF IT WAS UNDERTAKEN AS AN IN-HOUSE EXERCISE, RATHER THAN BY OUTSIDE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS.
+ORGANISATION (AND PROCEDURAL) REFORMS ARE BEST DEVISED AND INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY AND I THINK THE RECORD CLEARLY SHOWS THAT WE DO INTRODUCE ADAPTATIONS TO MEET CHANGING NEEDS.+
BESIDES CITING THE MANY ADAPTATIONS MADE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, SIR PHILIP TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SOON BE SETTING UP A NEW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICE WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
+PRESENTLY, AS PART AND PARCEL OF THE REVIEW OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE LOOKING AT EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS BODIES IN THE RECREATION AND CULTURE FIELDS,
HE SAID.
/+NOW AS