6
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1991
MODERN
PUBLIC
ON LECCO MEMBERS' COMMENTS ON THE NEED ΤΟ ADOPT TECHNOLOGY IN THE INTERESTS OF INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SECTOR, SIR PIERS AGREED THAT TECHNOLOGY COULD PROVIDE YET ANOTHER MEANS OF CONTROLLING EXPENDITURE GROWTH AND OF ACHIEVING GREATER VALUE FOR MONEY.
"AMONGST THE BENEFITS THAT MAY BE REALISED ARE BETTER STAFF PRODUCTIVITY, IMPROVED SHARING OF INFORMATION, A MORE RAPID RESPONSE RELATION TO EXISTING SERVICES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET DEMANDS FOR AN INCREASING RANGE OF SERVICES OF ENHANCED QUALITY.
"THE PRODUCTS USED IN THIS ENDEAVOUR RANGE FROM PERSONAL COMPUTERS TO AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TRANSPORT SYSTEM, WHICH WAS DESIGNED IN HONG KONG AND IS THE FIRST OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD, HE SAID.
"
HE SAID OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE ACQUISITION OF OFFICE EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN SIMPLIFIED то ENCOURAGE CONTROLLING OFFICERS TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES OFFERED BY MODERN AND DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, INCREASES IMPROVED SERVICES DID NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN STAFF INCREASES,
DEMAND AND
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS WAS BEING PROMOTED THROUGHOUT THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CONSIDERABLY STRENGTHENED TO TAKE ON THIS TASK.
RUNNING SAID.
"BY WAY OF ILLUSTRATION, WE NOW HAVE SOME 160 MAJOR SYSTEMS ON 21 MAINFRAME COMPUTERS AND 80 MINICOMPUTERS, SIR PIERS
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"OVER 4,200 MICROCOMPUTERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN DEPARTMENTS SINCE 1987 TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.. FAX MACHINES ARE NOW THE NORM."
HE SAID OVERALL, THE RESULTS HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING AND THE SAVINGS WERE SIGNIFICANT, WITH CONTROL OVER EXPENDITURE BEING COMPREHENSIVELY ASSERTED.
"OVER HALF OF ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS FOR 1991-92 HELD AT OR BELOW THE CURRENT YEAR'S REVISED LEVELS. THE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED ACCOUNT FOR 84,000 POSTS OUT OF A SERVICE TOTALLING 161,000.
"IN THE COMING YEAR, THE CIVIL SERVICE WILL GROW BY ONLY 0.8 PER CENT, FROM 161,000 TO 162,000," HE SAID, ADDING THAT THESE FIGURES RELATED TO ESTABLISHMENT, THAT WAS, THE NUMBER OF APPROVED POSTS, AND NOT TO STRENGTH, OR THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL BODIES IN POST.
SIR PIERS SAID ANY REDUCTION IN THE EXISTING FIVE PER CENT VACANCY LEVEL WOULD, OF COURSE, INCREASE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS EMPLOYED. NEVERTHELESS, THE FIGURES SHOWED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD A FIRM GRIP ON THE SIZE OF THE SERVICE.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY FURTHER OUTLINED THE VARIETY OF APPROACHES THE GOVERNMENT HAD ADOPTED IN THE WHOLE PROCESS.
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