ENG-1979 — Page 310

226

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

and to promote better understanding, particularly where government activities are causing dissatisfaction. This function is generally achieved by personal contact with all sectors of the community. Other means of ascertaining public reaction are through the monitoring of talk-back radio programmes, complaints made at City District Offices, correspondence in the daily newspapers, public consultations on major policy issues, and the conducting of public opinion surveys.

In discharging its various functions, the department stands a little apart from the main executive machinery of government. However, it maintains close contact with unofficial bodies such as the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, kaifong associations, district and clansmen's associations, mutual aid committees, multi-storey building owners' corporations, and religious and charitable organisations.

The department runs the City District Office Scheme which was introduced in 1968 to improve communications between the government and the people. There are 10 city district offices and 16 sub-offices in the crowded urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. A variety of services are offered, the best known being the public inquiry service which dealt with more than 3.9 million inquiries in 1979. This counter service can advise a citizen on almost any aspect of government policy and procedure, provide him with any forms he might need and help him to fill them in. It also operates a 24-hour weather in- formation service during typhoons and heavy rainstorms when the city district offices are kept open for those who may be in need.

Through the co-ordination work carried out by city district officers, people have become involved in community-orientated projects such as campaigns for fighting crime, keeping Hong Kong clean, and recreation and culture, particularly for young people. People are also able to discuss public affairs through the medium of area committees and city district committees which are serviced by city district officers and their staff.

Much of the community work undertaken by the city district offices is done through mutual aid committees. These were first formed in 1973 to encourage residents of multi- storey buildings to co-operate in tackling the problems of security and cleanliness. At the end of 1979 there were 3,052 of these committees in the urban areas, an increase of 194 over 1978. The Mutual Aid Committee Scheme has provided many people with an addi- tional channel of communication with the government.

Use of the Chinese Language

The year saw a further expansion in the use of Chinese by government departments in dealing with members of the public. The appointment of more non-English-speaking people to serve on advisory boards and committees has further increased the demand for high- quality translation and interpretation. To meet this demand, the Home Affairs Department has intensified its training programme for Chinese language officers.

The government's policy is to accord Chinese equal status with English in government communications with the public, and to promote the widest possible use of Chinese in government departments in this context. To ensure conformity with the policy, regular visits to government departments were made during the year by staff of the Chinese Language Division of the Home Affairs Department to monitor performance and evaluate the quality of the services provided. Where appropriate, recommendations for the improve- ment of services were made to the departments.

Throughout the year, the Chinese Language Division of the Home Affairs Department continued to undertake the translation of documents of major significance. Assignments included the Governor's policy speech at the opening of the Legislative Council; the