ENG-1972 — Page 290

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Public Service

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The Public Service provides the staff for all government departments, sub- departments and other units of the administration. As at April 1, 1972, the total num- ber of posts in the Public Service (or its establishment as it is generally called) was 90,652. The strength on January 1, 1972 was 84,565 officers of whom 82,662 were local officers and 1,903 were overseas officers.

This indicates that about one person in every 50 in Hong Kong is employed by the government. There is a large proportion of labouring staff, and nearly 34,054 of the total establishment of the Public Service are labourers, semi-skilled labourers or artisans of one kind or another. The Public Service of the Hong Kong Govern- ment is somewhat unusual in that it includes the staff for certain activities which in other territories and administrations are carried out by people who do not belong to the Civil Service. For example, in other territories staff for hospitals, public works and utilities, urban cleansing and public health, and the police, are not always ser- vants of the central government. In Hong Kong, the establishments of the Medical and Health Department (12,052 posts), the Public Works Department (12,666 posts), the Urban Services Department (15,139 posts) and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (15,742 posts) account for a total of 55,602 posts or about 66 per cent of the total establishment of the service.

The growth in the size of the service from just over 17,500 in 1949 to about 45,000 in 1959 and now to its present total strength of over 84,500 reflects not only the con- tinuing expansion of existing services, in line with the continuing expansion of the population, but also the development of new and more diverse services to meet the changing needs of the population.

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The cost of the Public Service is reflected in the expenditure on personal emolu- ments. For the financial year 1972-3 the estimated expenditure on personal emolu- ments, excluding pensions, is about $1,186 million. This represents approximately 33 per cent of the estimated total expenditure included in the Budget. However, by the close of accounts for the financial year, this figure is expected to be exceeded as a result of the implementation of the 1971 Salaries Commission's recommendations and the revision of teachers' pay.

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The establishment of each post in the Public Service requires the approval of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, assisted by the advice of its Establish- ment Sub-Committee, which examines all requests received from departments for additional posts, both for new projects and to meet increasing work-loads, to ensure that staff is properly utilised and that new posts are provided only when they are essential.

Recruitment and promotions to the Public Service are, with certain exceptions, subject to the advice and overall scrutiny of the Public Services Commission, a body independent of the government, set up in 1950. The commission also advises the Governor in specified discipline cases. Mr D. R. Holmes, CMG, CBE, MC, ED, JP, is the full-time chairman of the commission, and local leading citizens are appointed as members on a part-time voluntary basis.