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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 197

OVER TWO MILLION USED CDO'S

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OVER TWO MILLION PEOPLE MADE CONTACT WITH THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND + IN THIS QUIET AND UNSPECTACULAR WAY+ A VAST AMOUNT OF USEFUL INFORMATION WAS DISSEMINATED.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON. JOHN WALDEN, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WHEN HE OUTLINED THE VARIOUS POINTS OF CONTACT AT WHICH VIEWS ABOUT GOVERNMENT PLANS AND ACTIVITIES CAN BE FREELY EXPRESSED THROUGH THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES' SCHEMES.

THERE ARE AT PRESENT 10 CDO'S AND 12 SUB-OFFICES +WHERE ANY CITIZEN MIGHT GO IN THE SURE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE WOULD BE COURTEOUSLY TREATED AND HELPFULLY ADVISED.+

ORDINARY PEOPLE KNEW THE CDO BEST BECAUSE OF THE IR PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS WHERE THEY COULD GET DIRECT HELP AND INFORMATION ON A GREAT VARIETY OF PRACTICAL MATTERS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM. OR THEY COULD BE DIRECTED TO WHERE THE HELP THEY NEEDED COULD BE GOT, MR. WALDEN SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME TO EXTEND THE OPENING HOURS OF CDOS WAS INTRODUCED EARLIER THIS MONTH AND WAS ONE OF THE MANY IMPROVEMENTS THE DEPARTMENT WAS PUTTING INTO EFFECT AS A RESULT OF THIS YEAR'S REVIEW OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.

APART FROM THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY SERVICES, HE SAID THERE WAS ALSO A SYSTEM FOR REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE THROUGH LIAISON OFFICERS IN EACH CITY DISTRICT OFFICE.

MR. WALDEN SAID THESE OFFICERS, USUALLY YOUNG UNIVERSITY GRADUATES, WERE HELPED BY PART-TIME STAFF WHO WORKED MOSTLY IN THE EVENINGS AND THEIR JOB WAS TO CONTACT PEOPLE AT THE IR HOMES OR PLACES OF WORK TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THINGS GOING ON AROUND THEM.

+ THE PEOPLE THEY TALK TO COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND SINCE THEY ALL HAVE FAMILIES AND MANY OF THEM BELONG TO ORGANISATIONS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER THEY NOT ONLY EXPRESS THEIR OWN OPINIONS BUT ALSO TRANSMIT THE VIEWS OF THE GROUPS THEY MIX WITH.

+ IN THIS WAY A CDO IS ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT A LARGE NUMBER OF ORDINARY PEOPLE IN HIS DISTRICT ARE THINKING OR WORRYING ABOUT.

+THESE VIEWS COLLECTED FROM ALL OVER HONG KONG AND KOWLOON PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT WITH A BROAD INDICATION OF PUBLIC OPINION ON ANY ISSUE. THE TECHNIQUES OF COLLECTING AND PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION ARE CONTINUALLY BEING IMPROVED AND THE CONTACTS ARE SYSTEMATICALLY CHANGED.

ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS OUT-REACH ING COMMUNICATIONS WORK, HE SAID, WAS DIRECTED AT PEOPLE WHO WERE BEING AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER.

/+CDO'S HAVE AN

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