XN000022-1988-11-16 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

STRONG CORPS OF RESILIENT CIVIL SERVANTS

*

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE HAD NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE DID HAVE A STRONG CORPS OF BRIGHT ENTHUSIASTIC AND RESILIENT PEOPLE COMING TO THE TOP.

SIR DAVID WAS REPLYING IN THE RESUMED POLICY DEBATE TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY MEMBERS WHETHER HONG KONG HAD ENOUGH YOUNG LEADERS OF QUALITY AND DEDICATION IN THE COMMUNITY TO TAKE IT FORWARD INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.

SIR DAVID, ANSWERING FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, SAID THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE CIVIL SERVANTS WERE COMMITTED то HONG KONG AND DEDICATED TO SEEING IT THROUGH 1997 AND BEYOND.

"IN PARTICULAR, THE HIGH FLYERS AMONGST THEM ARE ONLY TOO CONSCIOUS OF THE EFFECT THEIR DEPARTURE WOULD HAVE ON THE SERVICE AND INDEED THE COMMUNITY," SIR DAVID SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THESE CIVIL SERVANTS LIKE ALL IN THE SERVICE, EXPECTED CRITICISM ON THEIR PERFORMANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS.

"BUT ATTACKS ON THEIR MOTIVATION AND LOYALTY ARE QUITE ANOTHER MATTER. THEY NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED NOT ·DOUBTED.

"IN THIS CONTEXT, IT IS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT, HOWEVER THE POLITICAL SYSTEM DEVELOPS HERE,

THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND THAT INCLUDES THE POLITICIANS, WILL STILL DEPEND UPON THE CIVIL SERVICE THE BACKBONE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG," HE SAID.

AS

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY A BROAD FIELD

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE

COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) LEGISLATIVE CENTRALISE THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE AND

DEPARTMENT IN ONE SINGLE TECHNOLOGY

BECAUSE THE SUBJECT IS AN A LARGE NUMBER OF EXTREMELY BROAD FIELD ENCOMPASSING

STREAMS AND

DISCIPLINES.

HON SIR

DAVID FORD, SAID IN IT

NOT IS

PRACTICAL

THE

ΤΟ

"IT IS ALSO A FIELD IN WHICH RAPID ADVANCES ARE MADE, WITH NEW CONCEPTS AND NEW APPLICATIONS EMERGING DAY BY DAY.

AND

"IT IS NO EASY TASK TO CUT THROUGH THE MASS OF INFORMATION

MOST,' SIR DAVID POSSIBILITIES TO GET AT THE THINGS HONG KONG NEEDS TOLD THE COUNCIL IN THE RESUMED POLICY DEBATE.

/SIR DAVID