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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Subsidiary offices are maintained in Manchester and Edinburgh to enable the London Office to develop its welfare and liaison services among the Hong Kong Chinese communi- ties in the north of England and Scotland.

Government Departments

The administrative functions of the government are discharged by 51 departments, most of which are organised on a functional basis, and have responsibilities covering all of Hong Kong. This form of organisation, rather than one based on authorities with responsibilities for limited geographical areas, is considered to be the most appropriate for this small, compact territory. However, many departments are now organising them- selves on a regional basis, particularly in the new towns of the New Territories, and this tendency will be strengthened with the implementation of the District Administration Scheme.

Home Affairs Department

One of the main functions of the Home Affairs Department is to monitor public opinion on current affairs, assess public response to proposed government policies and activities, 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 maintains close contact with unofficial bodies such as the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, service clubs, 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 20 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 enquiry service which dealt with more than 6.8 million enquiries in 1981. 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 fill them in. It also operates a 24-hour weather information service during typhoons and heavy rainstorms when the city district offices are kept open for those who may be in need.

Through the liaison 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 local problems and 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 1981 there were 3 573 of these committees in the urban areas, an increase of 282 over 1980. The Mutual Aid Committee Scheme has provided many people with an additional channel of communication with the government.