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Colonial Secretariat

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

The Colonial Secretary is the Governor's principal adviser on policy, the chief executive of the government, the head of the civil service and the chief government spokesman. His office, the Colonial Secretariat, is under the general direction of the Deputy Colonial Secretary and co-ordinates and supervises the work of all government departments.

The Financial Secretary is responsible for financial and economic policy and for the overall supervision, through his Deputy Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Economic Services, of departments primarily involved in this field.

The Colonial Secretariat is organised into six policy and two resource branches, and a branch dealing with New Territories affairs, each headed by a Secretary. The policy branches are based on programme areas, as indicated by their titles; environ- ment, economic services, home affairs and information, housing, security and social services. The two resource branches (civil service and finance) deal with the govern- ment's personnel and finances.

A Political Adviser, seconded from the Foreign Office, advises on the external political aspects of government policies.

London Office

The London Office, at 6 Grafton Street, W1 is a projection of the Hong Kong Government in London, and as such forms part of the Colonial Secretariat, with the Commissioner directly responsible to the Colonial Secretary. The Commissioner pro- vides a point of direct contact in London between Hong Kong and various ministries and departments of the British Government, and other organisations with an interest in Hong Kong.

The London Office keeps under review British commercial, economic and indus- trial developments and official thinking on worldwide trade policies and advises the Hong Kong Government of the likely repercussions of these developments on Hong Kong. It is concerned with the welfare of Hong Kong residents in British, maintains contact with them, and assists them over problems arising from their residence in Britain or relating to their families and interests in Hong Kong. It operates well- developed publicity services aimed at projecting Hong Kong's image to the British public and the Chinese community in Britain. It also has special sections to look after the interests of Hong Kong students, including nurses and government trainees, resi- dent in Britain.

An appointments section recruits persons of Hong Kong origin in the United Kingdom to the public service. It also maintains close liaison with the various official agencies in Britain concerned with recruiting expatriate staff.

In January 1974 the London Office took over responsibility from the Crown Agents for the recruitment in the United Kingdom of inspectors for the Royal Hong Kong Police. A nationwide advertising campaign produced a large number of applications and led to a considerable increase in recruitment of police inspectors.