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straight-forward complaints, while handing
on to him those of some complexity requiring
lengthy investigation.
This last point is advanced with some diffidence because it is one that on careful local examination may already have been
ruled out for good reason. But it is advanced as a possible point for discussion and one worth taking a look at because one of the practical problems to be faced in introducing a Commissioner in Hong Kong may be the lack of a suitable "sifting" mechanism such as M.Ps. provide in the U.K. For want of it (and the draft Bill provides the complainant with direct access to the Commissioner) he might be swamped with a vast number of complaints,
mostly trivial or misconceived.
Background
5.
The Hong Kong Government have for several years been considering the possibility of appointing a Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. They have made a study of the Ombudsman systems in Scandinavia and New Zealand, as well as that of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in Great
Britain. But although they have reached the stage of preparing
a draft Commissioner for Administration Bill, it must be emphasised
that they have not as yet reached any conclusion as to whether
such an appointment should be made in the Colony. This was made clear in reply to Parliamentary Questions on the subject by Mr. Rankin and Mr. Thornton in December, 1968.
6. The draft Bill generally follows the line of the New Zealand Act (with modifications to suit the constitutional position of Hong Kong), although certain provisions have been taken from the United Kingdom Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967. The New Zealand model is considered by the Hong Kong Authorities to be less restrictive and to give the Commissioner more satisfactory
powers to investigate and report on grievances. The Bill differs
from other models in :
(a) providing that the Commissioner reports not to the
Legislature but to the Governor: this is the only
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/arrangement
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