ENG-1986 — Page 53

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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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 establish- ment of 25 098, the Lands and Works group of departments (22 094), the Municipal Services group of departments (25 796), the Education Department (6 349), the Fire Services Department (6 669) and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (30 965) account for 64.8 per cent of the establishment of the entire Public Service. During the 1985–6 financial year, the size of the Public Service was stabilised through the redeployment of staff and increased productivity. At April 1, 1986, the total strength of the service was 174 946, more than 98 per cent of this number being local officers.

Responsibility for the management of the Public Service lies with the Civil Service Branch of the Government Secretariat. The branch deals with such matters as appoint- ments, pay and conditions of service, staff management, manpower planning, training and discipline and is also the focal point for consultation with the principal staff associations.

Recruitment and promotions to the middle and senior ranks of the Public 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 serving as members.

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 1 000 or so most senior public servants). The Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service deals with all other public servants. During the year, the two advisory bodies tendered their advice on the pay structure of several individual grades, and monitored the conduct of a pay level survey by an independent firm of consultants, which aimed to establish whether or not the remuneration of public servants, including both salaries and fringe benefits, was broadly in line with that of employees in the private sector doing comparable work. The results of the survey, together with the advice of the two advisory bodies, will be an important guide in determining the level of Public Service remuneration in the future. During the year, leave and passage arrangements for public servants were also reviewed, and, on the advice of the Standing Commission, improvements were made to the current job-related allowances system.

At the same time, the Home Purchase Scheme and the Housing Loan Scheme for public servants were examined and some improvements were introduced. Arrangements were also made to permit public servants occupying co-operative housing flats to obtain title to these flats.

The government fully recognises the value of good staff relations in the Public Service. Apart from providing a wide range of welfare and recreational facilities to staff, much effort is devoted to the promotion of effective staff consultation. The formal consultative machinery comprises two service-wide central consultative councils: the Senior Civil Service Council and the Model Scale 1 Staff Consultative Council, a Police Force Council for members of the Police Force, and departmental consultative committees for staff in all other departments. Outside these councils and committees, individual members of the Public Service or staff associations have ready access to their heads of departments or grades and the Civil Service Branch. A major review of the existing consultative machinery is underway to examine how it can be further strengthened.

Continued efforts were made in 1986 to increase productivity and to improve the quality of service to the public. To this end, work improvement studies and value for money studies were carried out in various departments. The outcome of these studies brought about not