XN000022-1994-10-26 — Page 46

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994

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STANDARDS

"THE METHOD BY WHICH HONG KONG'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IS COMPILED CONFORMS WITH INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STATISTICAL APPROACH AND IS CONSISTENTLY DONE THROUGH THE YEARS.

"NO ONE IS BEING EXCLUDED ARBITRARILY FROM THE LABOUR FORCE THE COMPILATION PROCESS, HE SAID.

IN

CALLED ASKED

NOTING THAT THOSE MEMBERS FROM THE LABOUR CONSTITUENCY THE SCHEME TO BE SCRAPPED AND THOSE IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR

WAS IN ITSELF ITS IMMEDIATE EXPANSION, MR LEUNG SAID THIS REFLECTION OF THE DIFFICULT BALANCE THAT GOVERNMENT HAD TO STRIKE.

FOR FOR

A

SEM SPEAKS ON MOTION OF THANKS

* * * **

FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE MOTION OF THANKS TODAY (WEDNESDAY);

MR PRESIDENT,

FOR EDUCATION AND COUNCIL DEBATE ON

BEFORE I RESPOND TO SPECIFIC POINTS, I HAVE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH A VIEW EXPRESSED BY SOME MEMBERS, THAT NOT MUCH IS "NEW" IN MY POLICY COMMITMENTS. I MAKE NO APOLOGY FOR THAT. IN AN ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM AS OPEN AS OURS, POLICY FORMULATION TAKES A LABORIOUS PROCESS OF CONSULTATIONS WHICH ARE OFTEN PUBLICISED. DECISIONS ON MAJOR ISSUES, THEREFORE, SELDOM COME AS SURPRISES.

BUT I WOULD FURTHER ARGUE THAT GOOD ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SIMPLY MAKING NEW SUGGESTIONS EVERY TIME. GOOD ADMINISTRATION

IS BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS ON ACHIEVEMENTS. GOOD ADMINISTRATION ENSURING THAT DECLARED COMMITMENTS ARE IMPLEMENTED EFFICIENTLY EFFECTIVELY. IT IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF UPGRADING.

IS

AND

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IN THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER PROGRAMMES, WE HAVE ANNOUNCED UNDERTAKINGS IN THE LAST TWO POLICY ADDRESSES. 14 HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED IN FULL. THE REST ARE BEING COMPLETED ON TIME. WE HAVE JUST PUT FORWARD ANOTHER 16 NEW COMMITMENTS THIS YEAR.

LANGUAGE WE ARE

ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE DEVELOPING NEW POLICIES ON PROFICIENCY, SCHOOL FUNDING AND EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS; UNDERTAKING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND CONSULTATION ON THE OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME; AND WE ARE FORMULATING HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY FOR THE NEXT CENTURY. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MAIN ITEMS ON OUR POLICY AGENDA.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN

PUT THESE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF IMPLEMENTING OVER 100 RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORTS NO. 4 AND 5, IN BRINGING ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION TO ONE- QUARTER QF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AGE GROUP, IN SETTING UP FOUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE LAST TEN YEARS, IN MAINTAINING HARMONIOUS LABOUR RELATIONS AND INTRODUCING STEADY IMPROVEMENTS TO LABOUR WELFARE, I WONDER HOW SERIOUSLY THOSE CRITICS TAKE OF THEIR SO- CALLED "SUNSET GOVERNMENT' RHETORICS.

/I NOW