XN000022-1980-11-19 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980

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TURNING TO A SUGGESTION FROM THE HON ALEX WU THAT INTERPRETATION FACILITIES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BE EXTENDED TO MANDAR IN, SIR JACK THOUGHT IT BEST TO WAIT UNTIL MORE OF OUR HONG KONG PEOPLE CAN SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND MANDAR IN BEFORE CONSIDERING SUCH AN EXTENSION.

+ IN THE MEANTIME, HE SAID, WE SHALL BE MAK ING STRENUOUS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES FOR SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION FROM CANTONESE TO ENGLISH AND VICE VERSA, NOT ONLY IN THIS CHAMBER BUT IN OTHER MEETING ROOMS.+

COMMENT ING ON A SUGGESTION FROM THE HON LYDIA DUNN, SIR JACK SAID MISS DUNN HAD A VALID POINT IN PROPOSING THAT GOVERNMENT SERIOUSLY CONSIDER, OR RECONSIDER SUGGESTIONS MADE IN THE PAST TO HIVE OFF SOME GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES.

+WE SHOULD ALSO POSITIVELY SEEK OUT AREAS WHICH MIGHT WITH ADVANTAGE BE HIVED-OFF EITHER TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR SOME OTHER REGIME, HE SAID. +NOT NECESSARILY, NOR ONLY, IN THE BROAD AREAS SUGGESTED IN THE PAST, BUT ANY PART OF GOVERNMENT WHICH COULD MORE EFFICIENTLY, MORE ECONOMICALLY BE 'HIVED-OFF IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH BETTER SERVICE.+

SUCH A TASK, HE WARNED, WOULD TAKE TIME BUT SHOULD NEVERTHELESS BE UNDERTAKEN.

ON ANOTHER POINT RAISED BY MISS DUNN, SIR JACK SAID THAT THE WORK ING GROUP REVIEWING UNOFFICIAL PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES HAD COMPLETED ITS STUDY.

THE GROUP FOUND THAT, ON THE WHOLE, THE SYSTEM WAS WORK ING WELL AND THAT A COMPREHENSIVE CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY WAS MAKING AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG ACROSS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES.

+ IT WAS CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT THERE REMAINS A NEED FOR CONTINUING AND INCREASING EFFORTS TO BE MADE TO LOCATE SUITABLE AND WILL ING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME FORWARD SO THAT THOSE ALREADY SERVING DO NOT FIND THEMSELVES REQUIRED TO SIT ON TOO MANY COMMITTEES, HE ADDED.

SIR JACK SAID THE GROUP FOUND THAT OF 307 STATUTORY AND NON-STATUTORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, 299 WERE STILL SERVING A USEFUL PURPOSE, THE REMAINDER HAVING COMPLETED A PARTICULAR TASK- THAT THE 75 PER CENT UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP QUOTED BY MISS DUNN WAS ABOUT RIGHT AND THAT THE INPUT FROM UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WAS EFFECTIVE AND APPRECIATED.

SIR JACK SAID THAT IN ORDER THAT THE SYSTEM MIGHT CONTINUE TO SERVE CURRENT NEEDS, IT WAS PROPOSED TO UNDERTAKE REGULAR REVIEWS EVERY TWO YEARS - THE FIRST TAKING PLACE NEXT JANUARY.

+AS PART OF THIS BIENNIAL EXERCISE, HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS WILL BE ASKED WHETHER BOARDS AND COMMITTEES IN THE IR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE CHAIRED BY AN UNOFFICIAL, IF THEY ARE NOT ALREADY, HE SAID.

/SIR JACK