THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983
2
+NOW AS REGARDS MISS DUNN'S TWO SPECIFIC CHARGES THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION IS OVER-CENTRALISED AND TOP-HEAVY, LET ME SAY STRAIGHTAWAY THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CENTRAL CONTROL NECESSARY.
+BUT A CERTAIN DEGREE OF CENTRAL CONTROL OVER DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES IS ESSENTIAL TO DEVISE OVERALL POLICY OBJECTIVES AND, ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED, TO SEE THAT THEY ARE ACHIEVED, HE SAID.
HE SAID HE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT OF 11 BRANCHES AND TWO RESOURCE BRANCHES. STAFFED BY JUST UNDER 2 000 OFFICERS OF ALL RANKS, COULD TRULY BE DESCRIBED AS OVER-CENTRAL ISED.
IT MUST BE REMEMBERED, SIR PHILIP ADDED, THAT THERE ARE SOME 55 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS STAFFED BY ABOUT 166 000 CIVIL SERVANTS, MOST OF WHOM ARE IN VERY CLOSE AND REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE.
+NOR CAN THE CHARGE THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S BUREAUCRACY IS TOP-HEAVY BE SUBSTANTIATED BY THE FACTS: THE TOTAL STRENGTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AT 1ST OCTOBER THIS YEAR WAS JUST UNDER 168 000, COMPRISING 880 DIRECTORATE SCALE OFFICERS AND 1 400 OFFICERS AT SENIOR MANAGEMENT-PROFESSIONAL LEVEL AND 165 600 OFFICERS AT ALL OTHER LEVELS.
+PUT SIMPLY, 2 280 SENIOR OFFICERS ARE IN CHARGE OF 165 600 STAFF OF ALL OTHER RANKS. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD REGARD THESE OVERHEADS AS THIN RATHER THAN THICK,+ HE STATED.
WITH REFERENCE TO THE HON W.C.L. BROWN'S REMARKS, SIR PHILIP SAID THAT HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE STIFLING EFFECTS OF COMPLEX REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES.
+THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THE SYSTEM, AND DO OUR BEST TO MAKE IT WORK EFFICIENTLY, ARE AS LIKELY TO BE CRITICAL OF THE SYSTEM AS PROFESSIONAL COMMENTATORS AND AS FRUSTRATED BY UNNECESSARY COMPLEXITY AS THOSE WHOM THE SYSTEM SEEKS TO SERVE.
+WE BUREAUCRATS HAVE, THEREFORE, OR SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK, A BUILT-IN INCENTIVE TO EFFECT REFORMS, QUITE APART FROM THE EXTERNAL PRESSURES BROUGHT TO BEAR UPON US BY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AUDITOR'S SCRUTINY AND THE EXAMINATION OF HIS PUBLISHED ANNUAL REPORT BY THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE,+ SIR PHILIP ADDED.
BUT THE SCOPE FOR REFORMS HAD TO BE INDICATED BY EXPERIENCE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF REFORMS HAD TO BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS, HE SAID.
ON CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING, SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT OPERATES 41 TRAINING SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS, PLUS 50 TRAINING UNITS OR DIVISIONS WHICH, TOGETHER, HAVE A FULL-TIME STAFF OF 700 AND PART-TIME STAFF OF 120.
SERVICE-WIDE, THE TRAINING FACILITIES CAN DEAL WITH 10 000 TRAINEES A YEAR.
/THIS YEAR,