1976 — Page 120

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 120 of 135

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

203

202

The Department

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

There can be no real progress without sound support services. Therefore, the Council is always paying close attention to the administration. And, as the Urban Services Department is the Council's executive arm, the relationship must be constantly under examination. In consequence, with the co-operation of the Director, such measures are taken as might be necessary to help improve departmental effectiveness.

Control is essential to monitor output of work where so much labour is involved. So, to start right, the Council ought also to keep watch on recruitment. The original establishment was designed for the way the Department worked before its change of status. Now, as the Council has its own means and sets its own priorities, so the pattern of work must logically accord with what select committees want to do in their respective areas of responsibility. Hence, staff recruitment and deployment policy must fall into line. The tendency is gradually to have more specialist personnel with the right qualifications for the proper performance of increasingly more exacting functions, while present staff are also being trained to enable them to do their work better and perhaps to undertake new and more responsibilities to improve their own promotion prospects.

Also, the Council has now to examine critically its working arrangements with the Urban Services Department which answers to both the Government and the Council. It is reasonable to expect that the Council would want to exercise at all times full executive authority in matters which by law are its direct responsibility. In short, it may be said that at present the Council pays the piper and calls the tune but the impression is that the Government decides when to play it. While, to be fair, there may be advantage to the Council in the existing Civil Service arrangements to argue for the connection to be maintained, there could also be some disadvantage in daily operations. The Department must be totally committed to the Council. For, the dichotomy could conceivably run counter to the Council's interests.

The directorate is now actually divided in responsibility. It covers the urban areas and the New Territories. Is it able at one and the same time to give full attention to the Council's requirements and also serve the people in the important towns that even now exist in the New Territories? And, as to the urban areas, the Council is described as one of the largest authorities of its kind in the world. Whether this is so or not, is beside the point. What matters is that, for the good of all concerned, the Government and the Council should together consider how to make a change in the working relationship between the Council and the Department in the best separate interests of the urban and the rural areas.

The time may have come for the Government to set up by preference a new body to do the work which the Urban Services Department now performs in the New Territories so that the existing Department may give complete attention to serving the needs of the people in the urban areas. The alternative would be for the Government to assign to the Council on a practical plane, without disturbing local aspirations, the functions which the Department is now discharging in the New Territories where there are both countryside and built-up areas. In fact, for as long as we can remember, the Department copies the decisions of the Council's select committees in matters of common concern and applies them to the New Territories. As matters stand, the directorate sometimes gives the impression that, through no fault of its own, it finds difficulty in keeping up with the pace set by the Council.

All this discussion of a matter of principle does not mean that the Council does not appreciate the good work done, often under trying circumstances, by the directorate and all the many thousands who man the services the Council provides for the community. To them, let us also record our thanks.

Planning and Financing Development

There is now a radical change of attitude in the Council. It is planning its requirements methodically and applying its resources boldly. It is essential to do so in a businesslike yet imaginative manner with due anticipation by all select committees of community needs not only now but for the years well ahead. There is of course a heavy backlog of civic amenities to build and other community schemes to implement. Money must be found for them and manpower selected and trained.

The approach must now match the outlook. For a start, and as only one example, there ought to be a thorough examination of district plans by the Department with a view to putting down definitely what land is required for the whole range of public needs in matters under Council responsibility. In this way, when plans are next drawn up in greater detail, the specifications, which all concerned agree as necessary for any particular public purpose under consideration, would be met without the quibbling which is now the order of the day. Otherwise, progress would be retarded.

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Page 120 of 135 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 203 202 The Department HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL There can be no real progress without sound support services. Therefore, the Council is always paying close attention to the administration. And, as the Urban Services Department is the Council's executive arm, the relationship must be constantly under examination. In consequence, with the co-operation of the Director, such measures are taken as might be necessary to help improve departmental effectiveness. Control is essential to monitor output of work where so much labour is involved. So, to start right, the Council ought also to keep watch on recruitment. The original establishment was designed for the way the Department worked before its change of status. Now, as the Council has its own means and sets its own priorities, so the pattern of work must logically accord with what select committees want to do in their respective areas of responsibility. Hence, staff recruitment and deployment policy must fall into line. The tendency is gradually to have more specialist personnel with the right qualifications for the proper performance of increasingly more exacting functions, while present staff are also being trained to enable them to do their work better and perhaps to undertake new and more responsibilities to improve their own promotion prospects. Also, the Council has now to examine critically its working arrangements with the Urban Services Department which answers to both the Government and the Council. It is reasonable to expect that the Council would want to exercise at all times full executive authority in matters which by law are its direct responsibility. In short, it may be said that at present the Council pays the piper and calls the tune but the impression is that the Government decides when to play it. While, to be fair, there may be advantage to the Council in the existing Civil Service arrangements to argue for the connection to be maintained, there could also be some disadvantage in daily operations. The Department must be totally committed to the Council. For, the dichotomy could conceivably run counter to the Council's interests. The directorate is now actually divided in responsibility. It covers the urban areas and the New Territories. Is it able at one and the same time to give full attention to the Council's requirements and also serve the people in the important towns that even now exist in the New Territories? And, as to the urban areas, the Council is described as one of the largest authorities of its kind in the world. Whether this is so or not, is beside the point. What matters is that, for the good of all concerned, the Government and the Council should together consider how to make a change in the working relationship between the Council and the Department in the best separate interests of the urban and the rural areas. The time may have come for the Government to set up by preference a new body to do the work which the Urban Services Department now performs in the New Territories so that the existing Department may give complete attention to serving the needs of the people in the urban areas. The alternative would be for the Government to assign to the Council on a practical plane, without disturbing local aspirations, the functions which the Department is now discharging in the New Territories where there are both countryside and built-up areas. In fact, for as long as we can remember, the Department copies the decisions of the Council's select committees in matters of common concern and applies them to the New Territories. As matters stand, the directorate sometimes gives the impression that, through no fault of its own, it finds difficulty in keeping up with the pace set by the Council. All this discussion of a matter of principle does not mean that the Council does not appreciate the good work done, often under trying circumstances, by the directorate and all the many thousands who man the services the Council provides for the community. To them, let us also record our thanks. Planning and Financing Development There is now a radical change of attitude in the Council. It is planning its requirements methodically and applying its resources boldly. It is essential to do so in a businesslike yet imaginative manner with due anticipation by all select committees of community needs not only now but for the years well ahead. There is of course a heavy backlog of civic amenities to build and other community schemes to implement. Money must be found for them and manpower selected and trained. The approach must now match the outlook. For a start, and as only one example, there ought to be a thorough examination of district plans by the Department with a view to putting down definitely what land is required for the whole range of public needs in matters under Council responsibility. In this way, when plans are next drawn up in greater detail, the specifications, which all concerned agree as necessary for any particular public purpose under consideration, would be met without the quibbling which is now the order of the day. Otherwise, progress would be retarded. Page 120 Page 121 Page 121 of 135

Baseline (Original)

Page 120 of 135 Page 120 of 135 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 203 202 The Department HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL There can be no real progress without sound support services. Therefore, the Council is always paying close attention to the admin- istration. And, as the Urban Services Department is the Council's executive arm, the relationship must be constantly under examination. In consequence, with the co-operation of the Director, such measures are taken as might be necessary to help improve departmental effec- tiveness. Control is essential to monitor output of work where so much labour is involved. So, to start right, the Council ought also to keep watch on recruitment. The original establishment was designed for the way the Department worked before its change of status. Now, as the Council has its own means and sets its own priorities, so the pattern of work must logically accord with what select committees want to do in their respective areas of responsibility. Hence, staff recruitment and deployment policy must fall into line. The tendency is gradually to have more specialist personnel with the right qualifica- tions for the proper performance of increasingly more exacting func- tions, while present staff are also being trained to enable them to do their work better and perhaps to undertake new and more responsi- bilities to improve their own promotion prospects. Also, the Council has now to examine critically its working arrangements with the Urban Services Department which answers to both the Government and the Council. It is reasonable to expect that the Council would want to exercise at all times full executive authority in matters which by law are its direct responsibility. In short, it may be said that at present the Council pays the piper and calls the tune but the impression is that the Government decides when to play it. While, to be fair, there may be advantage to the Council in the existing Civil Service arrangements to argue for the connection to be main- tained, there could also be some disadvantage in daily operations. The Department must be totally committed to the Council. For, the dichotomy could conceivably run counter to the Council's interests. The directorate is now actually divided in responsibility. It covers the urban areas and the New Territories. Is it able at one and the same time to give full attention to the Council's requirements and also serve the people in the important towns that even now exist in the New Territories? And, as to the urban areas, the Council is described as one of the largest authorities of its kind in the world. Whether this is so or not, is beside the point. What matters is that, for the good of all concerned, the Government and the Council should together consider how to make a change in the working relationship between the Council and the Department in the best separate interests of the urban and the rural areas. The time may have come for the Government to set up by prefer- ence a new body to do the work which the Urban Services Department now performs in the New Territories so that the existing Department may give complete attention to serving the needs of the people in the urban areas. The alternative would be for the Government to assign to the Council on a practical plane, without disturbing local aspira- tions, the functions which the Department is now discharging in the New Territories where there are both countryside and built-up areas. In fact, for as long as we can remember, the Department copies the decisions of the Council's select committees in matters of common concern and applies them to the New Territories. As matters stand, the directorate sometimes gives the impression that, through no fault of its own, it finds difficulty in keeping up with the pace set by the Council. All this discussion of a matter of principle does not mean that the Council does not appreciate the good work done, often under trying circumstances, by the directorate and all the many thousands who man the services the Council provides for the community. To them, let us also record our thanks. Planning and Financing Development There is now a radical change of attitude in the Council. It is planning its requirements methodically and applying its resources boldy. It is essential to do so in a businesslike yet imaginative manner with due anticipation by all select committees of community needs not only now but for the years well ahead. There is of course a heavy backlog of civic amenities to build and other community schemes to implement. Money must be found for them and manpower selected and trained. The approach must now match the outlook. For a start, and as only one example, there ought to be a thorough examination of district plans by the Department with a view to putting down definitely what land is required for the whole range of public needs in matters under Council responsibility. In this way, when plans are next drawn up in greater detail, the specifications, which all concerned agree as necessary for any particular public purpose under consideration, would be met without the quibbling which is now the order of the day. Otherwise, progress would be retarded. Page 120Page 121 Page 121 of 135

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Page 120 of 135

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

203

202

The Department

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

There can be no real progress without sound support services. Therefore, the Council is always paying close attention to the admin- istration. And, as the Urban Services Department is the Council's executive arm, the relationship must be constantly under examination. In consequence, with the co-operation of the Director, such measures are taken as might be necessary to help improve departmental effec- tiveness.

Control is essential to monitor output of work where so much labour is involved. So, to start right, the Council ought also to keep watch on recruitment. The original establishment was designed for the way the Department worked before its change of status. Now, as the Council has its own means and sets its own priorities, so the pattern of work must logically accord with what select committees want to do in their respective areas of responsibility. Hence, staff recruitment and deployment policy must fall into line. The tendency is gradually to have more specialist personnel with the right qualifica- tions for the proper performance of increasingly more exacting func- tions, while present staff are also being trained to enable them to do their work better and perhaps to undertake new and more responsi- bilities to improve their own promotion prospects.

Also, the Council has now to examine critically its working arrangements with the Urban Services Department which answers to both the Government and the Council. It is reasonable to expect that the Council would want to exercise at all times full executive authority in matters which by law are its direct responsibility. In short, it may be said that at present the Council pays the piper and calls the tune but the impression is that the Government decides when to play it. While, to be fair, there may be advantage to the Council in the existing Civil Service arrangements to argue for the connection to be main- tained, there could also be some disadvantage in daily operations. The Department must be totally committed to the Council. For, the dichotomy could conceivably run counter to the Council's interests.

consider how to make a change in the working relationship between the Council and the Department in the best separate interests of the urban and the rural areas.

The time may have come for the Government to set up by prefer- ence a new body to do the work which the Urban Services Department now performs in the New Territories so that the existing Department may give complete attention to serving the needs of the people in the urban areas. The alternative would be for the Government to assign to the Council on a practical plane, without disturbing local aspira- tions, the functions which the Department is now discharging in the New Territories where there are both countryside and built-up areas. In fact, for as long as we can remember, the Department copies the decisions of the Council's select committees in matters of common concern and applies them to the New Territories. As matters stand, the directorate sometimes gives the impression that, through no fault of its own, it finds difficulty in keeping up with the pace set by the Council.

Planning and Financing Development

There is now a radical change of attitude in the Council. It is planning its requirements methodically and applying its resources boldy. It is essential to do so in a businesslike yet imaginative manner with due anticipation by all select committees of community needs not only now but for the years well ahead. There is of course a heavy backlog of civic amenities to build and other community schemes to implement. Money must be found for them and manpower selected and trained.

1976 — Page 120

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