is preparing revised checking procedures for carrying out six-monthly checks. The procedures will be issued to departments for implementation before the end of 1986.
3.27 The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service have completed their review of the principles and practices relating to job-related allowances. The Commission's Report No. 15 was submitted to the Governor in February 1986 and issued to Controlling Officers in April 1986 for comments on the Commission's recommendations. The report was also forwarded to the staff sides of the Senior Civil Service Council, the Model Scale 1 Council and the Police Force Council for consultation.
3.28 Overpayments of $1 million of obnoxious duty allowances to staff of the Medical and Health Department were written off by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in January 1986. Applications for write-off of amounts of $305,000 in overpayments of obnoxious duty allowance to staff of the Regional Services Department, and of $577,000 in shift duty allowance to staff of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, are still under consideration by the Finance Branch of the Government Secretariat.
3.29 The Committee congratulate the Secretary for the Civil Service and the Director of Accounting Services for the diligent way in which they have pursued this complex and time consuming task.
3.30 Noting that the exercise will take the Secretary for the Civil Service another two years to complete, the Committee wish to be informed of:
further progress by the Secretary for the Civil Service and the Director of Accounting Services; and
details of the implementation of the major recommendations made by the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service in their report submitted to the Governor in February 1986.
3.31 The Committee also wish to repeat the recommendation made in their Eighth Report that early action be taken to finalize action on the overpayments in the Regional Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
3.32 The need to charge the Urban Council for abortive work on abandoned Urban Council projects handled in-house by the Architectural Services Department. (Paragraphs 6.35-6.44 of P.A.C. Report No. 8). The Government Minute laid before the Legislative Council in April 1986 stated that:
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the Finance Branch of the Government Secretariat and the Architectural Services Department were jointly considering how the Urban Council should be charged for abortive work on abandoned projects. Once detailed proposals had been finalized, they would be put to the Director of Urban Services for consideration with a view to seeking the Council's agreement to them. In the meantime, the Director had been asked to consider the question as a matter of principle first;
the Director of Building Development was collecting information on the more significant cases of abortive work since 1983 with a view to raising a charge against the Council; and
subject to the Urban Council agreeing to the Government's proposals, the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements for the Urban Council would be amended. Should it be agreed that the Regional Council should meet the expenditure on capital works carried out on its behalf by the Architectural Services Department, similar arrangements would be proposed for the Regional Council.
3.33 The present position on the Administration's negotiation with the Urban Council is that following agreement between the Deputy Financial Secretary and the Director of Urban Services on detailed proposals, a paper proposing to charge the Urban Council for abortive work done by the Architectural Services Department has been drafted by the Deputy Financial Secretary. It is expected that the paper will be put to the Urban Council for agreement in November 1986. The Committee wish to be informed of further progress on this subject.
3.34
Deferment of action in setting out the Government's policies and procedures for the control of subventions. (Paragraphs 6.45–6.54 of P.A.C. Report No. 8). This subject was first raised by the Director of Audit 18 years ago. However, the Committee are informed that substantial progress is at last being made. The main tasks are:
3.35
to update the guidance notes for subvented medical organizations;
to revise the guidance notes for subvented social welfare organizations;
to prepare core guidance notes for miscellaneous subventions; and
to produce guidance notes for auditors and accountants.
Because of the recent progress the Director of Audit refrained from referring to it yet again in his report for the year ended 31 March 1986. However, the momentum must not now be lost. The Committee wish to continue to be kept informed of progress.
3.36 The funding arrangements of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the level of salaries and benefits for the Council's staff. (Paragraphs 6.68–6.79 of P.A.C. Report No. 8). Revised funding arrangements were introduced with effect from 1 April 1986.
3.37 At the request of the Administration, the Trade Development Council commissioned an independent consultancy firm to review the pay and benefits of their staff. The terms of reference included a comparison of the remuneration package with equivalent ranks in the civil service and the private sector. The consultant's report is now being considered by the Trade Development Council. This concludes that the remuneration of the Council is competitive with the private
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