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(c) what progress has been made on the proposal to
appoint District Officers in the urban areas to explain Government policies to the people at the grass roots and to look into complaints.
The Secretary of State thought that George Foggön paper on labour matters was first-class and has asked me to authorise you to talk it over with David Trench with particular reference to taking speedy action on staffing problems, the proposed Labour Policy Committee and social security. Our views as crystallized at Monday's meeting are
as follows:-
Staffing of the Department of Labour
We all agree that the status of the Department of Labour should be lifted and that a more dynamic Commissioner is needed
to breathe new life into the Department. Although George Foggon has argued a case for a professional officer as head of the Department, he would be content and I go along with hin on this to see the appointment of a thrustful administrative 'officer such as Jack Cater, if he can be persuaded to remain
in the Service and if he would be attracted to the post for a stint of, say, 18/24 months. If Goodwin does well, perhaps
he could take over at that time,
We must assume from what we have heard that the two
expatriate senior Labour Officers, Messrs. Bennett and Price, are not likely to return to Hong Kong after their present
contracts expire next April. If this assumption is correct it is important to know, at this stage, what the Hong Kong
Government proposes to do to find successors. Unless action is taken urgently there is danger that the Department could collapse. I think you might also usefully ask what the Department of Labour proposes to do in order to attract and
retain the more able of local entrants to the public service. A career which at present stops dead at Senior Labour Officer
is simply not good enough.
Labour Policy Committee
David Trench is, I know, keen to see early action on improved labour legislation, but under the present arrangements
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