XN000022-1984-11-08 — Page 4

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984

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+ I WOULD NOT CLAIM THAT THE SYSTEM IS PERFECT BUT WE DO SEEK TO PUT THE COMMUNITY'S EXPRESSED WISHES INTO PRACTICE.

+SOMETIMES, OF COURSE, TO DO SO IS NOT PRACTICAL POLITICS OR PRACTICAL ADMINISTRATION AND, ANYWAY, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT IS THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL WHICH MUST DECIDE HOW BEST TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

+ INEVITABLY, AT TIMES, THIS MUST MEAN THAT DECISIONS ARE TAKEN WHICH MAY BE UNPOPULAR WITH, AND THEREFORE CRITICISED BY, SOME PARTICULAR GROUP.+

AS FOR SUGGESTIONS THAT CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND LESS DEFENSIVE, SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT +VERY CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS+ WERE DEVOTED TO EXPLAINING GOVERNMENT POLICIES TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH GIS AND RTHK, AT DISTRICT BOARDS AND IN ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AND IN THE LEGCO.

+THAT SAID, I ENTIRELY ACCEPT THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO EXPLAIN AS WELL AS DEFEND, TO MODIFY AS WELL AS TO PERSUADE. AS WE MOVE TO AN INCREASINGLY OPEN STYLE OF GOVERNMENT,

I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE MECHANICS OF OUR TWO-WAY SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC WILL IMPROVE AND THAT THERE WILL BE A BETTER APPRECIATION OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES WHICH THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. WHICH IS A HIGHLY ARGUMENTATIVE PROCESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, HAS TO RESOLVE, HE SAID.

ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT

ON THE ARGUMENT THAT +FLEXIBILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS DEMAND DECENTRALISATION, SIR PHILIP SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECOGNISED ITS VALIDITY, AS INSTANCED BY THE REGIONALISATION OF SEVERAL MAJOR DEPARTMENTS AND BY THE EXPANSION AND STRENGTHENING OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION.

+HOWEVER, IT MUST BE ACCEPTED THAT A GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT COMMUNITY, WITH A MULTITUDE OF COMPETING DEMANDS FOR LIMITED RESOURCES OF LAND AND FINANCE, REQUIRES A CERTAIN DEGREE OF CONTROL AT THE CENTRE TO ENSURE PROPER EVALUATION OF PRIORITIES AND FAIR ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.

+THE ONLY QUESTION IS HOW THAT CENTRAL CONTROL SHOULD BE ORGANISED, SIR PHILIP STATED,

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE MAIN DUTIES OF A POLICY SECRETARY IN THE GOVERNMENT WERE FIRST TO FORMULATE POLICIES IN HIS PROGRAMME AREA, SECOND TO ENSURE THAT POLICIES IN HIS PROGRAMME AREA WERE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATED AND IMPLEMENTED, AND THIRD TO SUPPORT, OBJECTIVELY, HIS HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS' ANNUAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES SUBMISSIONS,

/+TO ENSURE