particularly from the UK, remains an emotive issue.
CIVIL SERVICE
9. Overall, Civil Service wastage increased from 4 percent to 5 percent in 1988: they remain well below rates in the private sector.
Nevertheless thereare some areas of Government activity which are
suffering from a lack of qualified staff, e.g. social welfare, medical and health, legal and data processing. Emigration is a factor in the increased wastage figures. So is the attraction of
the private sector.
10. The outcome of recent pay reviews has caused concern and some restlessness within the Civil Service. In particular, some aspects
of the review of the pay and conditions of service of the disciplined services have aroused a strong reaction, mainly because of the resulting changes in relativities between and within the services. But ExCo's decision to implement the report and to establish a separate Standing Committee to re-examine a number of the recommendations made in review was accepted by the majority of
staff affected. Their attention is now focused on who will be appointed to the new Standing Committee and what recommendations
they will make.
BASIC LAW
11. The detail of the Basic Law drafting process, and the significance of the various proposals on constitutional development, continue to elude or confuse most people. District Officers report that the silent majority has remained silent an apparently apathetic. Of those who have expressed an opinion, many found the formula for post 1997 constitutional development attributed to the convenor of one the drafting sub-groups, Louis Cha, to be too conservative. At the same time many of the silent majority, including those who disagreed with Cha, were disturbed by what they saw as the confrontational activities of the democratic lobby in demonstrating and holding hunger strikes against his proposal. Despite a general mistrust of Chinese intentions, most people prefer gradual change and a quiet life.
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