ENG-1960 — Page 389

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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On 1st April 1960, the total establishment of the Public Service was 50,433, almost three times as large as on 1st April 1949 when it was 17,554. The estimated expenditure on salaries for the financial year 1960-1 is $325.4 million which represents 34.7% of the total estimated expenditure for the year (excluding expenditure from the Development Fund) of $938.3 million.

Official policy is to give priority in appointment to local candidates. In 1950 there were 54 local officers and 448 overseas officers holding Class I and II offices, whereas on 1st January 1960, there were 501 local officers in these classes and 796 overseas officers. Thus, in a matter of ten years, the proportion of local officers in the two senior classes grew from 10.75% to 38.63%. On the 1st January 1960, there were also 965 overseas and 11,624 local officers in Class III offices. There are thus 12,125 local and 1,491 overseas officers holding Class I-III offices. The increase in the number of overseas officers has been due principally to the need to keep pace with the very rapid development of Hong Kong and the impossibility of delaying recruitment until local training schemes in the University and other establishments are able to produce enough graduates to meet all the demands of both the Public Service and private enterprise.

Training. The 'Report on Training of Government Servants 1952-8' which was published in March 1959, showed what Government had already done to train its personnel, both in Hong Kong and overseas. The 1959 Salaries Commission nevertheless thought that the Government should increase its training facilities. Government has accepted this recommendation and plans to set up an organization for the systematic training of staff and the co-ordination of departmental training and examinations with a view to improving efficiency generally and fitting exceptional officers for promotion to posts of higher responsibility.

During 1960, 82 local officers were sent overseas on courses of instruction to obtain various qualifications. During the same year 61 overseas officers attended shorter courses, while on vacation leave, to familiarize themselves with the latest developments in their professions or to acquire further specialized experience which would be of use in Hong Kong. The total expenditure on overseas training in 1960 was about $1,430,000.