THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1985
+ SUPPOSE THERE WILL BE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO BRANCH +1 RESPONSIBILITIES FROM TIME TO TIME OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
+ IT WON'T HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE, HE SAID. +THERE WON'T BE AN EARTHQUAKE.+
HE STRESSED THAT THE REORGANISATION INVOLVED THE SECRETARIAT AS A WHOLE, AND NOT SPECIFICALLY THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH WHICH AT THE MOMENT WAS VERY MUCH REQUIRED AS THE ANCHOR BRANCH FOR THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL.
ASKED WHETHER THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH WOULD BE DISSOLVED EVENTUALLY, SIR DAVID SAID NO DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN AT ALL ABOUT THIS.
+ IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL EXAMINATION OF BRANCH RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE SECRETARIAT,+ HE SAID, WE STILL HAVE THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, WE STILL HAVE THE URBAN COUNCIL, WE STILL NEED A BRANCH RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.+
HE ADDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE INFORMATION ON THE REORGANISATION WITHIN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS.
ASKED TO COMMENT ON CRITICISMS ON THE HOISTING OF WARNING SIGNALS BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.
+ IT IS EASY TO CRITICISE AFTER THE EVENT, BUT IF THE SIGNALS HAVEN'T GONE UP, THEN PEOPLE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE CRITICISED THE OBSERVATORY.+
HE ADDED THAT HE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY IMPRESSED BY THE YOUTH ENTHUSIASM, AND INVENTIVENESS OF THE SCIENTIFIC OFFICERS OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.
IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING THAT THEY HAVE INVENTED AND DESIGNED A LOT OF SOFTWARE PROGRAMMES FOR THEIR COMPUTERS AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC OFFSHORE WEATHER STATIONS, HE SAID.
ASKED HOW HE FELT ABOUT THE 6.4 PER CENT PAY CLAIM BY CIVIL SERVANTS, SIR DAVID SAID, WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE CLAIM IS RECEIVED AND EVALUATED IN THE NORMAL WAY.+
ASKED TO COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT UMELCO MEMBERS WERE GETTING BRITISH PASSPORTS, HE SAID IT WAS ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THE IR OWN APPLICATIONS TO THE HOME SECRETARY AND FOR HIM TO EXERCISE HIS DISCRETION.
+THIS WAS REFERRED TO BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN NEW YORK A YEAR OR SO AGO, HE ADDED.
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