ENG-1985 — Page 47

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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Hong Kong Government Offices Overseas The Hong Kong Government maintains representative offices in London, Geneva, Brussels, Washington and New York. The London Office is the largest and carries the widest range of functions among the overseas offices. Besides providing a point of direct contact in London between Hong Kong and departments of the British Government, Members of Parliament, the media and organisations with an interest in Hong Kong, it also performs a range of specialised functions. It is responsible for all recruitment in the United Kingdom to the Hong Kong Civil Service and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and supervises further training courses. It keeps under review British commercial, economic and industrial developments and official thinking on international trade policies, and advises the Hong Kong Government on the likely repercussions of these developments. It incorporates an industrial promotion office to advise United Kingdom firms about opportunities for investment in Hong Kong industries. Another division of the office liaises with Hong Kong people in Britain and helps with problems arising from their living in Britain or relating to their families and interests in Hong Kong. It also provides advice and assistance to visiting Hong Kong residents, regarding problems encountered. The News and Public Affairs Division operates well-developed publicity services aimed at projecting Hong Kong's image to the British public. The Students Division looks after the interests of Hong Kong students in the United Kingdom and runs the Hong Kong Students Centre in London. With the ratification of the Joint Declaration, the London Office will continue to play a major representational role for Hong Kong.

Apart from playing a much wider representational role for Hong Kong, the other overseas offices are heavily engaged in developing Hong Kong's commercial affairs in the countries they cover. The Geneva Office represents Hong Kong, through membership in the United Kingdom delegation, in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). It keeps under review developments arising from the deliberations of the GATT, the UNCTAD and other international organisations in Geneva. The Brussels Office represents Hong Kong's economic and related interests concerning the European Community and the governments of the Member States (other than the United Kingdom). The New York and Washington Offices keep under review economic or other developments, proposed legislation, and other matters in the United States of America that might affect Hong Kong's economic interests in general and its trade with the United States in particular. The overseas offices are also developing a wider role in the public relations field. To this effect, a public relations company has been appointed as the Hong Kong Government's consultants in the United States, working under the direction of the Commissioner (New York). A senior officer has also been posted to the Brussels Office to strengthen Hong Kong's representations in the European Economic Community and its Member States (excluding the United Kingdom). Details of representation overseas are at Appendix 2.

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 other public authorities, for example medical services, public works and utilities, urban cleansing and public health, education, fire services and the police force. The departments in charge of these areas - namely the Medical and Health Department, with an establishment of 24 338, the Lands and Works group of departments (22 176), the Municipal Services group of