Appendix I
Page 174 of 181
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
omitted from the Urban Council's draft 10-year development programme.
MR. SIN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, can this Council be told whether there is an understanding with the Government that a site will be allocated to this Council for the purpose of building the new multi-purpose building as contained in the answer? Is there any understanding that we will be given a site definitely?
MR. LOBO (in English):-The site on the reclamation which I am talking about is the site which is supposed to be for the reprovisioning of the market. It is included in the Town Plan, but is still under construction.
MR. SIN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, can I take it that a site on the reclamation will definitely be given to us? If so, have we any information when the reclamation will be completed?
MR. LOBO (in English):-I am afraid I am unable to tell you because things have not been moving as fast as we anticipated.
(2) MR. TSIN SAI-NIN asked the following question (in Cantonese):
(a) What is the difference in percentage between the establishment figures and the actual strength of staff?
(b) Which grade/s of staff will suffer from deficiency?
(c) To what extent will their working efficiency be affected?
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, for the information of this Council and Mr. TSIN, I am tabling a statement showing the establishment situation on 1st March, 1975 with the vacant posts- withheld posts and frozen posts.
The answers to Mr. TSIN's questions are as follows:
(a) The difference in percentage between the establishment and actual strength (USD urban areas) is 8.14%. Authorized establishment is 15,842. Actual strength is 13,552.
(b) Of the 133 grades and ranks in the Department there are establishment vacancies in 48 which make up the shortfall of 8.14%. These are detailed in the paper which I now table.
(c) Altogether, there is a difference of 1290 between the establishment list and actual strength. Of this number 309 posts are currently being withheld for various reasons, e.g. because structural complexes for which posts were created for management etc. have not been completed, or because vehicles and items of similar capital expenditure have not been delivered. In addition, 550 posts have been frozen also for various reasons, e.g. services for which posts were created have been suspended or cancelled; (e.g. the cessation of the meat delivery service) or because the structure of the supervisory grades is being reviewed. In fact, vacancies which need to be filled total 431 only, or 2.72% of the overall establishment, and are in 32 ranks as shown in the last column of the paper I have tabled. Action is in hand to fill these vacancies either by promotion or by direct recruitment. The Department does, of course, arrange for vacancies to be filled by acting appointments and thus provides junior staff with opportunities to gain the experience necessary for future promotion. At the moment there are more than 230 officers acting in a higher rank. For all practical purposes, the working efficiency of the Department is in any way not impaired.
Mr. TSIN, and members of the Council, might also wish to note that at the last meeting of Administration Select Committee on 24th February, the question of establishment and strength statistics was discussed at some length. As CUC has indicated, it was agreed that regular statements will be produced in future (on a monthly basis) giving relevant Select Committees the establishment and strength positions on departmental staff associated with their sphere of responsibility. This should assist in keeping the staffing situation under steady review, and in considering the merits of applications for additional posts.
MR. TSIN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. MACKENZIE for his detailed answer. But on the third point, since there are various reasons why posts need not be filled, are they cancelled in the next year's Estimates? Since over three hundred posts do not affect our
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307
Page 175 of 181
Appendix I
Page 174 of 181
306
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
omitted from the Urban Council's draft 10-year develop- ment programme.
MR. SIN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, can this Council be told whether there is an understanding with the Government that a site will be allocated to this Council for the purpose of building the new Is there any multi-purpose building as contained in the answer? understanding that we will be given a site definitely?
MR. LOBO (in English):-The site on the reclamation which I am talking about is the site which is supposed to be for the reprovisioning of the market. It is included in the Town Plan, but is still under construction.
MR. SIN (in English):--Mr. Chairman, can I take it that a site on the reclamation will definitely be given to us? If so, have we any information when the reclamation will be completed?
MR. LOBO (in English):-I am afraid I am unable to tell you because things have not been moving as fast as we anticipated.
(2) MR. TSIN SAI-NIN asked the following question (in Cantonese):
(a) What is the difference in percentage between the estab-
lishment figures and the actual strength of staff?
(b) Which grade/s of staff will suffer from deficiency?
(c) To what extent will their working efficiency be affected?
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
—
Mr. Chairman, for the information of this Council and Mr. TSIN, I am tabling a statement showing the establishment situation on 1st March, 1975 with the vacant posts- withheld posts and frozen posts.
The answers to Mr. TSIN's questions are as follows:
(a) The difference in percentage between the establish- ment and actual strength (USD urban areas) is 8.14%. Authorized establishment is 15,842. Actual strength is 13,552.
(b) Of the 133 grades and ranks in the Department there are establishment vacancies in 48 which make
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
307
up the shortfall of 8.14%. These are detailed in the paper which I now table.
(c) Altogether, there is a difference of 1290 between the establishment list and actual strength. Of this num- ber 309 posts are currently being withheld for various reasons, e.g. because structural complexes for which posts were created for management etc. have not been completed, or because vehicles and items of similar capital expenditure have not been delivered. In addition, 550 posts have been frozen also for various reasons, e.g. services for which posts were created have been suspended or cancelled; (e.g. the cessation of the meat delivery service) or because the structure of the supervisory grades is being reviewed. In fact, vacancies which need to be filled total 431 only, or 2.72% of the overall establishment, and are in 32 ranks as shown in the last column of the paper I have tabled. Action is in hand to fill these vacancies either by promotion or by direct recruit- ment. The Department does, of course, arrange for vacancies to be filled by acting appointments and thus provides junior staff with opportunities to gain the experience necessary for future promotion. At the moment there are more than 230 officers acting in a higher rank. For all practical purposes, the working efficiency of the Department is in any way not impaired.
Mr. TSIN, and members of the Council, might also wish to note that at the last meeting of Administration Select Committee on 24th February, the question of establish- ment and strength statistics was discussed at some length. As CUC has indicated, it was agreed that regular state- ments will be produced in future (on a monthly basis) giving relevant Select Committees the establishment and strength positions on departmental staff associated with their sphere of responsibility. This should assist in keep- ing the staffing situation under steady review, and in considering the merits of applications for additional posts.
MR. TSIN (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. MACKENZIE for his detailed answer. But on the third point, since there are various reasons why posts need not be filled, are they cancelled in the next year's Estimates? Since over three hundred posts do not affect our
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