TNAG-0201-FCO40-237-Local-government-reforms-1969 — Page 57

0003230

G.F. 323

CONFIDENTIAL

18.

9

The second step would be to devolve statutory or other powers from the civil servant being advised by a body to that body. Statutory powers are often confused with political weight and it is important not to expect too much from the mere conferment of statutory powers. Any public body acquiring political weight will depend more on the influence it carries in the policy-forming process than on the exercise of delegated statutory powers, but the exercise of powers is usually accepted as one way to increase the responsibility of the

body concerned and to enhance its status. The statutory powers must be in a clearly defined field but can be quite extensive. Roughly speaking one might say that a power which at present is exercised by

a head of department without consultation with the Secretariat is one

that could readily be passed on to the sort of functional boards or

councils which could be developed from the existing consultative

bodies.

J

19. The third step might be to have some meetings open to the public. The Housing Authority, which for a long time met in camera, saw the

opportunities here and now holds regular public meetings. Fublic

meetings have to be more formal than private ones and are liable to

be more tense. Participants are out for publicity this is one of

the objects of a meeting open to the public and civil servants

concerned have to develop a political adroitness which may be dis-

tasteful to some but which is essential to the retention of political

credibility when the business of government is carried on in an

atmosphere of potentially critical public opinion. In Singapore

politicians, having secured a single party government, are tending to

assume part of the role of civil servants. In Hong Kong, where we

already have the equivalent of a single party government, the civil

servants must become to some extent politicians if the government

is to retain the confidence of an increasingly knowledgeable and

questioning population.

20.

The fourth step is to widen the membership of the body to

include some measure of elected representation. This element could

/be