XN000022-1977-10-26 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1977

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RELATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC

SHOWS MARKED IMPROVEMENT *****

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC HAS SHOWN MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN RECENT YEARS FOLLOWING THE GRADUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LONG-TERM PLANS TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF LIFE.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE HON. Q.W. LEE IN THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MR. LEE SAID AS TIME GOES ON, PEOPLE HAVE HIGHER ASPIRATIONS AND IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT OCCASIONALY CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE PUBLIC STILL FEEL THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY CONSULTED ON MATTERS CONCRNING THEM VITALLY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE VARIOUS MEANS OF PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS.

+OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE INFORMED FULLY AND IN GOOD TIME ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST,+ HE NOTED.

IN THIS CONNECTION, MR. LEE SAID THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS SCHEME HAD AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY AND HOPED THAT THE REVIEW OF THE SCHEME RECENTLY COMPLETED BY THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RESULT IN IT DOING MORE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PEOPLE.

ON THE VARIOUS PROGRAMMES OUTLINED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS EARLIER THIS MONTH. MR. LEE SAID THEY WERE JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AND ONLY BY GOING FORWARD WITH SUCH PROGRAMMES CAN HONG KONG HAVE SOCIAL STABILITY REQUIRED TO DEVELOP OUR ECONOMY.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS THEREFORE LEADING HONG KONG TO DEVELOP INTO A SOCIETY IN THIS RIGHT DIRECTION AND WAS CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD APPROPRIATE FUNDS PRUDENTLY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMMES ACCORDING TO OUR FINANCIAL CAPABILITY IN THE LIGHT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS.

MR. LEE ALSO CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE AN OVERALL LOOK TO SEE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY REAL PROBLEMS PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

HE SAID RECENTLY THERE HAD BEEN SOME CASES OF DISCONTENT REGARDING CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AS EXPRESSED THROUGH THE NEWS MEDIA AND EVEN MANIFESTED IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION.

+ IT IS APPRECIATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS HANDLED THE SITUATION WITH ABSOLUTE FAIRNESS, TACT AND FIRMNESS.+

BUT HE SAID AS THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS NOW A HIGHLY COMPLICATED MULTI-LAYERED ESTABLISHMENT OF ENORMOUS SIZE, IT MIGHT BE USEFUL IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE AN OVERALL LOOK TO SEE WHETHER SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTED.

HE ADDED THAT THE PUBLIC WERE NATURALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE ONLY WHEN THERE IS HARMONIOUS MANAGEMENT AND STAFF RELATIONSHIP CAN GOOD SERVICE BE EXPECTED FROM OUR CIVIL SERVICE.

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