XN000022-1985-04-03 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985

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CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA EXPLAINED

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FINANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEMS WERE CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL IF THEY CONTAINED INFORMATION OR MATERIAL, WHICH, IF DISCLOSED, WOULD BE PREJUDICIAL TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID TODAY,

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP

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IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR PHILIP SAID THE FACT WAS THAT ON OCCASIONS, WHEN SEEKING APPROVAL FOR SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION OR THE ACCEPTANCE OF A NEW OR AMENDED COMMITMENT, ARGUMENTS HAD TO BE DEPLOYED AND EVIDENCE PRODUCED OF A CONFIDENTIAL NATURE.

+THUS THE ITEM ITSELF HAD TO BE DISCUSSED IN A CLOSED MEETING, BUT THE ACTUAL DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT CONFIDENTIAL, OBVIOUSLY, FOR THE PUBLISHED ESTIMATES WERE, IN EFFECT, AMENDED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, HE SAID.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S REPLY SHOWED THAT IN 1984-85, 41 FINANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEMS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 294 - OR 20 PER CENT -- HAD BEEN CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL, SOMETIMES RATHER UNNECESSARILY.

ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN THAT, SINCE FINANCE COMMITTEE NOW MET IN PUBLIC, THE NUMBER OF AGENDA ITEMS CLASSIFIED AS CONFIDENTIAL WOULD BE KEPT +TO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM IN THE FUTURE.

ALSO, MEMBERS HAD BEEN NOTIFIED ON MARCH 30 THAT CONFIDENTIAL ITEM C.1 INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WOULD BE DOWNGRADED AND RE-NUMBERED AS ITEM B.2.

THE ITEM DEALT WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF REPORT NO. 10 OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE ON OVERTIME AND RELATED ALLOWANCES.

THE ITEM WAS MARKED CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE THE PAPERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT HAD BEEN IN A CONFIDENTIAL FILE. BUT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR CONFIDENTIAL FILES TO CONTAIN PAPERS THAT NEED NOT BE SO CLASSIFIED. THE FACT WAS THAT TO HAVE OPEN AND CONFIDENTIAL VERSIONS OF FILES DEALING WITH A SPECIFIC SUBJECT WOULD BE INCONVENIENT.

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