ENG-1956 — Page 299

LOCAL FORCES AND CIVIL DEFENCE SERVICES

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the Force are found from amongst its members, but there is in addition a small permanent staff of regular officers and non-commissioned officers attached for training purposes. The Force is financed from funds voted annually by the Legislative Council.

Excellent co-operation is received from business concerns in releasing staff for training, particularly for camp, which is undoubtedly the most valuable training period during the year. The Force provides a fine example of men and women of different races, both volunteers and conscripts, working together in the common interests of the Colony.

OTHER AUXILIARY DEFENCE SERVICES

In addition to the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force, the Special Constabulary and the Police Reserve (see page 187), a number of other services have been raised and organized to assist in the civil defence of the Colony in an emergency. Legally, these are all parts of one service, the Essential Services Corps; in practice, however, the Corps is split into four autonomous Services: the Units of the Essential Services Corps proper, the Auxiliary Fire Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, and the Civil Aid Services.

In the Essential Services Corps conditions for training, pay, etc. are similar to those in the Defence Force, except that members are not required to undergo fifteen days training in camp, nor, generally speaking, to do any full-day training. Moreover, those members of the Corps who in an emergency would continue to perform duties in which they are already expert naturally require less training. All the Services which are included within the Corps are composed partly of volun- teers and partly of conscripts.

The Essential Services Corps proper consists of a number of units, each responsible for maintaining an essential service such as the supply of electricity, water, communications, etc. Each is staffed primarily by those already employed in such