THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984
+TO ENSURE THAT COHERENT AND CONSISTENT POLICIES ARE DEVELOPED IN THE VARIOUS PROGRAMME AREAS, AND GENERALLY TO ASSIST IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS, THERE IS THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S COMMITTEE.
+SPECIFICALLY, ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE FIRST, TO ENSURE THAT ALL SECRETARIES ARE KEPT INFORMED OF THE OVERALL PROGRESS OF GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES, AND OF ANY INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS WHICH COULD AFFECT THEM.
+SECONDLY, TO BE ADVISED OF PROGRESS OR DELAYS, AND OF ANY PROBLEMS WHICH ARISE, OR WHICH ARE LIKELY TO ARISE, IN ANY OF THE PROGRAMME AREAS.
+THIRDLY, TO CONSIDER ANY CURRENT ISSUES WHICH MIGHT INFLUENCE FUTURE PLANNING AND FOURTHLY, TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF PUBLIC CONCERN WHICH COULD AFFECT THE MORALE AND WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY AND-OR THE CIVIL SERVICE.+
IN ADDITION, THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S COMMITTEE HAD FROM TIME TO TIME, ASSUMED A ROLE IN THE DETERMINATION OF PRIORITIES BETWEEN POLICIES, FOR AVAILABLE RESOURCES OF FINANCE AND MANPOWER WERE ALWAYS RELATIVELY SCARCE.
AS FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SECRETARIES AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, SIR PHILIP EXPLAINED THAT BOTH POLICY AND RESOURCE BRANCH SECRETARIES WERE AUTHORISED TO GIVE DIRECTIONS FROM TIME TO TIME, OR AS THEY SAW FIT TO A DEPARTMENT HEAD EXCEPT IN THOSE CASES WHERE, BY LAW, THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY IS VESTED IN A HEAD OF DEPARTMENT.
+THE RATIONALE FOR THIS EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY BY A SECRETARY IS QUITE SIMPLE: A HEAD OF DEPARTMENT IS ANSWERABLE TO THE GOVERNOR FOR THE PROPER RUNNING OF HIS DEPARTMENT, FOR IT IS THE GOVERNOR WHO IS CONSTITUTIONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY EXECUTIVE ACT OF THE GOVERNMENT, SIR PHILIP EXPLAINED.
IN THE ABSENCE OF A CENTRAL ORGANISATION ALONG THE LINES OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTEAD SOME OTHER ARRANGEMENT FOR THE EXERCISE OF ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL.
ONE POSSIBILITY, LOOKED AT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WOULD BE TO DISMANTLE THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT COMPLETELY AND DEVISE A SYSTEM AROUND THE GOVERNOR'S THREE PRINCIPAL ADVISERS: THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THE BASIC FEATURES OF SUCH A SYSTEM, SIR PHILIP SAID, WOULD BE A SELF-CONTAINED OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR MAKING HIM QUITE INDEPENDENT OF THE COLLECTIVE RESOURCES OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
THIS WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF A CABINET OFFICE HEADED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY A TREASURY HEADED UP BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY- AND WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS BEING A SEPARATE OFFICE AT THE CENTRE OF THE LEGAL GROUP OF DEPARTMENTS.
THE CABINET .....................
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