ENG-1984 — Page 89

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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The policy branches whose secretaries report directly to the Chief Secretary are Home Affairs, City and New Territories Administration, Security, Housing, Education and Manpower, Lands and Works, Health and Welfare, and Transport. The Civil Service Branch, a resource branch, and the Councils and Administration Branch also come under the aegis of the Chief Secretary. The policy branches whose secretaries report directly to the Financial Secretary are Economic Services, Monetary Affairs, and Trade and Industry. Finance Branch, a resource branch, is also responsible to the Financial Secretary. The head of the Finance Branch is the Deputy Financial Secretary who, despite his title, is of the same rank and status as other secretaries.

With certain exceptions, the heads of government departments are responsible to the branch secretaries for the direction of their departments and the efficient implementation of approved government policy. The exceptions are such bodies as the Audit Department and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, whose independence is safeguarded by their director and commissioner respectively reporting directly to the Governor; the Judiciary, which is the responsibility of the Chief Justice; and the Legal Department, which is the responsibility of the Attorney General. There are currently 59 departments and agencies in this structure.

During the year, certain changes in the structure of the Secretariat were recommended consequent upon the creation of the Regional Council. These changes entailed the creation of a new branch and the shuffling of some existing branches' schedules.

Civil Service

The Civil Service provides the staff for all government departments and other units of the administration. With Hong Kong's centralised form of government, the Civil Service operates a wide range of services which in many countries would be administered by local authorities, for example medical services, public works and utilities, urban cleansing and public health, and the police force. The departments in charge of these areas – namely the Medical and Health Department, with an establishment of 22 362, the Lands and Works group of departments (22 106), the Urban Services Department (26 469) and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (29 646) – account for 57 per cent of the establishment of the entire Civil Service. At April 1, 1984, the strength of the service was 170 051, with 98 per cent of this number being local officers.

The government's policy is to provide additional staff only for new facilities and where such staff cannot be provided by redeployment. In line with this policy, the establishment increased by 1.5 per cent in 1983-4, compared with 3.3 per cent in 1982–3 and 9.7 per cent in 1981-2. Expenditure on Civil Service emoluments in 1984–5 is estimated at $8,900 million. This is 33 per cent of the estimated total recurrent expenditure of the government for the year, compared with 35 per cent in the previous year.

Recruitment and promotions to the middle and senior ranks of the Civil Service are subject to the advice of the Public Service Commission which is independent of the government. The commission has a full-time chairman and leading citizens are appointed as members on a voluntary basis.

The government is advised on matters relating to pay and conditions of service by two independent bodies. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters affecting directorate officers (the 1000 most senior civil servants). The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service deals with all other civil servants. During the year, the Standing Commission concentrated much of its attention on allowances payable to civil servants whose jobs have certain special