TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 196

7.

Mr Chan Kam-chuen

made the point

that the

growth of the Civil Service over the last

decade

has

outstripped population growth. I should hope so. I can

see no logical connection

connection between the growth rates of

these two aggregates except in the most general policy

setting.

A better correlation would be with the GDP: in

the 10 years ending 1984, the GDP in real ΟΙ constant

price terms increased by 21/3rd

times whereas the

approved establishment of the Civil Service increased by

(only) just

just over a half. As I have said before, but I

shall say it again, the growth rate of public expenditure

(and, by extension, of the size of the Civil Service) is

essentially a function of public policy. Public policy

is determined by Executive Council, subject to the

financial authority of this Council, not by the Civil

Service acting on its own authority. In determining

public policy, a whole complex of considerations has

to

be taken into account. As the population grows, more

services and facilities, and thus more civil servants to

provide, them are required. At the same time, pressures

build

up

these

to improve the quality of

population-oriented services and facilities, especially

in the fields of health, education and social welfare,

and

these

invariably

involve

extra

manpower.

Additionally, as Our society becomes more complex and

sophisticated, a whole range of other services and

facilities have to be provided,

systems.

including regulatory