XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

COMPLEMENTARY ROLE FOR CENTRAL POLICY UNIT

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE WORK OF THE CENTRAL POLICY UNIT (CPU) WAS DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT AND SUPPLEMENT THE WORK DONE BY POLICY SECRETARIES, NOT TO REPLACE IT.

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS, SIR DAVID SAID THE UNIT WOULD NOT USURP THE ROLE OF THE POLICY SECRETARIES, AND IT WOULD NOT ACT AS A FILTER THROUGH WHICH ALL POLICY PROPOSALS DRAWN UP BY POLICY SECRETARIES WOULD BE PASSED.

"I WOULD INSTEAD EXPECT A CLOSELY COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO DEVELOP BETWEEN THE CPU AND POLICY SECRETARIES, SIR DAVID SAID.

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SIR DAVID SAID THE ADMINISTRATION WAS NOW WORKING ON THE DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CPU AND MANY POINTS REMAINED TO BE FINALISED.

OUTLINING THE GOVERNMENT'S THINKING ON THE UNIT, SIR DAVID SAID THE CPU WOULD FORM PART OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT AND WOULD FUNCTION AS SUCH AND IT WOULD BE HOUSED IN THE SECRETARIAT BUILDING.

"IT WILL, HOWEVER, NOT BE A POLICY BRANCH WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DEFINED PROGRAMME AREA OF ITS OWN, ITS ROLE WILL BE TO UNDERTAKE IN-DEPTH EXAMINATIONS OF COMPLEX POLICY ISSUES, ΤΟ ANALYSE OPTIONS AND TO RECOMMEND SOLUTIONS," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID EXPLAINED THAT THESE ISSUES WOULD BE SPECIFIED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

"THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE ISSUES OF A LONG-TERM, STRATEGIC NATURE, OR ISSUES WHICH CUT ACROSS, OR FALL BETWEEN, THE BOUNDARIES OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT POLICY BRANCHES OR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

"I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE CPU TO BE INVOLVED IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF POLICY ISSUES WHICH CLEARLY FALL TO BE DEALT WITH BY ONE

OTHER OF THE POLICY SECRETARIES," HE SAID.

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SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT FOR THE CPU TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY, IT WOULD NEED TO PULL TOGETHER ALL THE INFORMATION THAT

RELEVANT

TO THE ISSUE BEING EXAMINED.

"SOME OF THIS INFORMATION WILL HAVE TO BE OBTAINED THROUGH THE NECESSARILY BE DRAWN FROM UNIT'S OWN RESEARCH, BUT MUCH OF IT WILL MATERIAL ALREADY IN THE POSSESSION OF THE RELEVANT POLICY BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS.

"I WOULD ALSO EXPECT THAT THE CPU WILL WISH TO SEEK OF THOSE BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS ON SUBJECTS WHICH IMPINGE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.

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