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appropriate than providing information and giving assistance to the consultancy firm which will in turn conduct the review.
Apart from regular and necessary reviews, there should be overall reviews and there should be priorities set in looking at areas which require more attention.
So, after very detailed consideration, I think-
1. to commission a consultancy firm at this time is not that urgent and there is no actual need to spend a large sum of money in commissioning a consultancy firm. It is not worthwhile and justified.
2. Among the above three motions, I think Mr. LAM Man-fai's motion is most in line with our present situation and need. The spirit of the motion highlights that the Department will need to review its establishment and organizational structure systematically and it must adequately consult the relevant Select Committees to correspond with their working plans. At the same time, it highlights the fact that when there is a need in future, the commissioning of an external consultancy firm to give assistance will be considered.
I think the measures given in Mr. LAM's amendment are more practical, efficient and effective. I have so spoken in support of Mr. LAM Man-fai's amendment.
Chairman (in Cantonese):—Our next speaker is Mr. Christopher CHUNG Shu-kun.
MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):—The original motion as well as the two amendments hope that a review of the staff establishment and organizational structure of the Urban Services Department can be conducted. In the original motion, a full review is suggested. Many members have just now indicated the flaws in this approach, explaining that a full review would mean a rough, general one. We have nearly 17,000 staff members in the Urban Services Department and there are a lot of other mechanisms. An overall full review would not be easily achieved. I therefore support Mr. Lam Man-fai's amendment because as we can see, it suggests a systematic review which is more sensible and to be carried out in more orderly steps. There is one other problem with the original motion. The last two lines say '........ besides the Department, a consultancy firm should be appointed to give assistance'. It is taken to mean that an independent consultancy firm should be appointed to give assistance to all kinds of reviews. We do not oppose the idea of appointing a consultancy firm to assist, we just feel that an appointment should be made as and when the situation calls for. In cases when a review can be conducted ourselves, there will not be any need to appoint a consultancy firm to assist so as not to incur unnecessary expenses.
In comparison to Ms. Ada WONG's amendment, Mr. LAM Man-fai's amendment is more comprehensive. When Ms. Ada WONG just now spoke on
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i
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appropriate than providing information and giving assistance to the consultancy firm which will in turn conduct the review.
Apart from regular and necessary reviews, there should be overall reviews and there should be priorities set in looking at areas which require more attention.
So, after very detailed consideration, I think-
1.
lo commission a consultancy firm at this time is not that urgent and there is no actual need to spend a large sum of money in commissioning a consultancy firm. It is not worthwhile and justified.
2. Among the above three motions. I think Mr. LAM Man-fai's motion is most in line with our present situation and need. The spirit of the motion highlights that the Department will need to review its establishment and organizational structure systematically and it must adequately consult the relevant Select Committees to correspond with their working plans. At the same time, it highlights the fact that when there is a need in future, the commissioning of an external consultancy firm to give assistance will be considered.
I think the measures given in Mr. LAM's amendment are more practical. efficient and effective. I have so spoken in support of Mr. LAM Man-fai's amendment.
Chairman (in Cantonese):—Our next speaker is Mr. Christopher CHUNG Shu- kun.
MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN (in Cantonese):-The original motion ast well as the two amendments hope that a review of the staff establishment and organizational structure of the Urban Services Department can be conducted. In the original motion, a full review is suggested. Many members have just now indicated the flaws in this approach, explaining that a full review would mean a rough, general one. We have nearly 17 000 staff members in the Urban Services Department and there are a lot of other mechanisms. An overall full review would not be easily achieved. I therefore support Mr. Lam Man-fai's amendment because as we can see, it suggests a systematic review which is more sensible and to be carried out in more orderly steps. There is one other problem with the original motion. The last two lines say '........ besides the Department, a consultancy firm should be appointed to give assistance'. It is taken to mean that an independent consultancy firm should be appointed to give assistance to all kinds of reviews. We do not oppose the idea of appointing a consultancy firm to assist, we just feel that an appointment should be made as and when the situation calls for. In cases when a review can be conducted ourselves, there will not be any need to appoint a consultancy firm to assist so as not to incur unnecessary expenses.
In comparison to Ms. Ada WONG's amendment, Mr. LAM Man-fai's atendiment is more comprehensive. When Ms. Ada WONG just now spoke on
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