Minister
(cont'd)
for improving the system of dealing with peoples grievances, the Hong Kong Government instituted the
C.D.O. scheine. I was in the colony just after it was instituted and I watched with great interest the efficient way and the effective way in which it developed. I understand that now during the last year they delt with over one million inquiries of various sorts. They were not all ingrievances but inquiries of various sorts. Then setting up the C.D.O. scheme, the arrangement was made to strengthen the powers of UMELCO office and Mr. Primrose was put in charge, and I took the view and I said this two- years ago at a press conference, not in this building but over in the airport, that I thought we must see how this develops and see if it is successful and then take a view whether the system of dealing with grievances is adequate. So it has given me great pleasure on this visit to talk to Mr. Primrose and to find out how UMELCO office has been developing and I have now formed the view which I have told another member of your journalists group here in Hong Kong, with some initative she found me earlier on in the week, that I felt that the present system of dealing with grievances is really satisfactory in Hong Kong terms. You have the C.D.0.'s which I've already said is operating extremely well at one level, you have the UMELCO office which is operating extremely well at another level, nothing like the same numbers are coming to it as to the C.D.O.'s but they are getting considerable numbers of inquiries and the Director, Mr. Primrose is able, of course, to call for papers and to investigate any complaints of malministration that come to it and I formed the opinion this is working very well. You then have the Urban Councilers which can be approached on grievances themselves and indeed they do a very good job of work and then there is the Governor who is available always to receive petitions. So in Hong Kong terms you have, in fact,
k.
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