XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF SIR PHILIP'S SPEECH IN THE BUDGET DEBATE:

SIR,

BEFORE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DELIVERS THE CUSTOMARY WINDING-UP SPEECH FOR THIS DEBATE THERE ARE SEVERAL CIVIL SERVICE MATTERS WHICH FALL TO ME AS CHIEF SECRETARY TO DEAL WITH.

SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE

INEVITABLY THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS MENTIONED DURING THE DEBATE: FIVE MEMBERS, NAMELY, MR S.L. CHEN, MR PETER C. WONG, MR WONG LAM, MRS PAULINE NG AND MR WONG PO-YAN COMMENTED FAVOURABLY ON THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO STABILISE THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. THE STATISTICS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. THE STATISTICS OF THE APPROVED ESTABLISHMENT PRESENTED IN APPENDICES IX AND X OF VOLUME 2 OF THE DRAFT ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT THESE EFFORTS HAVE MET WITH A GOOD MEASURE OF SUCCESS: THE APPROVED ESTABLISHMENT INCREASED FROM 151 809 POSTS IN 1980 TO 173 663 POSTS IN 1982 OR BY 14.4 PER CENT OVER THOSE TWO YEARS. THE GROWTH RATE WAS THEN HELD TO 1.85 PER CENT IN 1983 AND TO 2.74 PER CENT IN 1984. IT IS INTENDED TO HOLD IT DOWN AGAIN TO 1.33 PER CENT IN 1985. OF THE 2 419 ADDITIONAL POSTS TO BE CREATED IN 1985, 1 473 POSTS ARE FOR ESSENTIAL NEW SERVICES IN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE.

MR WONG LAM, WHILE WELCOMING THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO SLOW DOWN THE GROWTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OVER THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE AND SUGGESTED THAT PREFERENTI AL TREATMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACCORDED TO THE POLICE FORCE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER, SMALLER DEPARTMENTS. I CAN ASSURE HIM THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. A THOROUGH EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED OF EACH DEPARTMENT'S REQUEST TO DETERMINE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF NEW POSTS NECESSARY FOR NEW SERVICES AND FACILITIES. IN THE CASE OF THE POLICE FORCE, THIS EXAMINATION WAS CARRIED OUT IN DETAIL, AND AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND I AM SATISFIED THAT THE FORCE HAS BEEN GIVEN NO MORE THAN IS NECESSARY TO MEET ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS AND THAT NO OTHER DEPARTMENT HAS SUFFERED AS A RESULT,

FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS WHICH FIND THEY NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICES INTACT (AND THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY HAS MENTIONED ONE), ATTENTION WILL NOW HAVE TO BE CONCENTRATED ON INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, SOMEHOW DEFINED, ON MORE IMAGINATI VE DEPLOYMENT OF STAFF WITHIN DEPARTMENTS AND UNITS AND ON BOLD. IF CONTROVERSI AL, REDEPLOYMENT OF STAFF ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL BOUNDARIES, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE MUST BE SCOPE, OR AT ANY RATE ARGUABLY SO, FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TASKS WHICH THE PASSAGE OF TIME AND DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY RENDER LESS ESSENTIAL OR EVEN OBSOLETE.

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