XN000022-1985-08-31 — Page 3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1965

+LET THERE BE NO DOUBT OF YOUR GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATICA TO MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMMES,+ SIR DAVID SAID. IT IS NOT A STOP-GO ADMINISTRATION, NEITHER IS IT THINKING AND PLANNING FOR THE SHORT TERM.+

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES, HE SAID, WAS SHIFTING FROM EXPATRIATES TO LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS.

+ IN THE SENIOR DIRECTORATE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE IN 1980, THERE WERE 18 LOCAL RECRUITS TO 53 OVERSEAS, IN 1985 THERE WERE 34 TO 50, AND IN 1990 THE POSITION WILL BE MORE OR LESS REVERSED WITH 54 LOCAL TO 30 OVERSEAS.

+THUS, WHILE OVERSEAS OFFICERS CONTINUE TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE, IN THE FIELD OF LOCALISATION OF GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION, THERE IS A GRADUAL, PROGRESSIVE AND DELIBERATE MOVEMENT, AVOIDING RADICAL AND RAPID CHANGE, ALLOWING TIME FOR ADJUSTMENT WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT AND TIME FOR THE STRENGTH OF EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS TO BE TESTED FOR ITS STRENGTH BEFORE BUILDING THE NEXT STEP.+

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, SIR DAVID SAID THE AGREEMENT DID NOT ANSWER EVERY QUESTION, AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WAS HOW THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT WOULD EVOLVE.

+WE RECOGNISE THE NEED TO CHANGE FROM AN EXISTING TO A NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT; WE RECOGNISE THE NEED FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO FEEL NOT ONLY THAT THEY BELONG TO HONG KONG, BUT THAT THEY HAVE A STAKE IN HONG KONG AND ITS FUTURE AND HAVE A RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN DECIDING THAT FUTURE.

+ IN THE PAST, YOUR PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE SOUGHT THROUGH THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS, THROUGH CONSENSUS, TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY.

+NOW THE STRUCTURE IS BEING CONSCIOUSLY, DELIBERATELY AND GRADUALLY ALTERED TOWARDS A SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS *RICH WILL INFORM THE GOVERNMENT MORE DIRECTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, A SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE STRONG, RESPONSIBLE AND SENSITIVE.

+THIS STRUCTURE IS NOW IN PLACE, COVERING THE ENTIRE TERRITORY WITH ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AT EVERY LEVEL: DISTRICT, REGIONAL ANDʻ. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND WITH EACH LEVEL LINKED BY ELECTIONS TO THE OTHERS.+

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG WAS A SPECIAL PLACE WITH SPECIAL QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.

+ THE SYSTEM WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED SO FAR SEEKS TO FIND A HONG KONG SOLUTION TO THESE SPECIAL QUESTIONS RATHER THAN A TEXT-BOOK SOLUTION OR A STEREOTYPE SOLUTION BORROWED FROM ELSEWHERE.

/+AS The