TNAG-1136-FCO40-1416-Address-by-Sir-Edward-Youde--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-the-L-1982 — Page 10

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sound and relevant advice to the Government. I have

no difficulty in agreeing with Dr Huang that these

boards and committees should have a "...... meaningful

and effective role" and with Miss Tam that, in due course, we should

be able to look to district boards for recruits for

some of these subject-oriented boards and committees.

Government Organisation

14.

Sir, in your Address, you referred to some of the major changes which have been made to the organisation of Government's internal administration

during the past year or so. You also emphasised that

we must continue with our efforts to adapt the central

goverment organisation in order to meet changing

circumstances and to develop a more responsive and

coherent relationship between the Secretariat and

departments.

15.

As part of this continuing process, in 1981

we replaced the former Environment Branch, which had become

far too large and cumbersome, by the Lands and Works

Branch and the Transport Branch; we established the

Education Branch; and we merged the Home Affairs

Department and the New Territories Administration into

a new single territory-wide department, namely, the City and New Territories Administration.

At the

same time, the Home Affairs Branch, which relinquished

responsibility for the Home Affairs Department, took

over the functions of the former Information Branch and

responsibility for environmental affairs. The Recreation

and Culture Division of the Home Affairs Branch also

became a department in its own right.

16.

During 1982, we have split up two major "federal" departments, the Public Works Department and the Trade, Industry and Customs Department, and thus ended what had become rather awkward working relationships

/between them.....