ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE
35.
The General Section, which was grafted on to Hong Kong Department in 1977, has a wide range of responsibilities in connection with our remaining Dependent Territories. It deals with policy matters of a general nature relating to all the territories and also the recruitment and appointment of Governors, senior administrative and financial staff and senior and legal officers of the Territories. Their terms of service are also decided by the Section in consultation with Curtis Green and other Government Departments. The Section adininisters the Governors' Vote Subhead C3(4)d and prepares estimates.
36. Sorne 70% of Miss Brett Rooks's time, as Section Head, is devoted to staffing. Much in the same way as POD constructs grids of new appointments, Miss Brett Rooks draws up short lists for senior posts in the Colonies which are considered by the Appointments Boards. The Boards' recommendations are submitted by HKGD) to the Secretary of State. Candidates may be, and increasingly are, DS officers. Others are members of the HMOCS (whose appointments need the specific approval of the Secretary of State) or or contract (subsidised by ODA from the Aid Vote). Miss Brett Rooks spends a lot of time drafting replies to senior officers who have written to the PUS or Chief Clerk. The Section also vets recommendations for promotion in the Hong Kong Government Service and consults the Legal Advisers about judicial and legal appointments. Some 118 posts are filled by officers short listed by the General Section. Their different backgrounds and terms and conditions of service greatly add to the workload and have justified separate handling. I was impressed with the care and impartiality with which these appointments are inade.
37. Miss Brett Rooks is supported by Mr Hall, formerly a DS5 who has had 11 years' experience in the Section and is well versed in the intricacies of conditions of service. He sits on the Board when appointments are made to the Hong Kong Government Administrative Service. I believe that Air Hall's advice is sound and useful and that he should continue to be employed for at least a further year.
38!
The third member of the Section, Miss Maxwell, assists with personne! work for the Dependent Territories. She prepares curricula vitae, drafts announcements of new appointments and attends to the practical details of Governors' travel arrangements. I think she should be rather more involved in the substantive and interesting aspects of staffing and recommend that Miss Brett Rooks should consider whether work should be redistributed within the Section. Miss Maxwell, like Miss Brett Rooks, gets drawn into policy issues affecting all the Dependent Territories. A particularly difficult issue has been that of capital punishment on which Governors have needed particularly careful advice.
39. About 30% of Miss Maxwell's time is spent on liaising with the Crown Agents and other agencies about the issue of postage stamps by the Territories. Art work has to be submitted to The Queen and designs are checked also with geographical departments. Pro forma letters are used to some extent but I believe there is further scope and recommend that more detailed examination be made to see if there can be more streamlining, eg of letters to the Crown Agents confirming approval of new stamp issues and letters of appointment for
Governors.
12
ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.