ENG-1989 — Page 52

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

of the government and to improve the policy formulation and resource management generally. Following the re-organisation, there are currently 13 policy branches, two resource branches concerned with finance and the Public Service, and a branch with special responsibility for co-ordinating measures to implement the terms of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong.

The policy branches whose secretaries report directly to the Chief Secretary are: City and New Territories Administration, Education and Manpower, Health and Welfare, Municipal Services, Security, Transport, Constitutional Affairs, Recreation and Culture, and Planning, Environmental and Lands. The Civil Service Branch, a resource branch, and the General Duties 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, Trade and Industry, and Works. The Finance Branch, a resource branch, is also responsible to the Financial Secretary. The head of the Finance Branch is the Secretary for the Treasury (previously known as the Deputy Financial Secretary).

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 60 departments and agencies in this structure.

To assist in the co-ordination of government policy, there have been established, under the umbrella of the Chief Secretary's Committee, seven policy groups which bring together branch secretaries in related programme areas. The five which are chaired by the Chief Secretary are Community Affairs; Constitutional Affairs; Lands, Works, Transport, Housing and Environmental Protection; Public Services, and Social Services Policy groups. The Legal Affairs Policy Group is chaired by the Attorney General and the Finance Group is chaired by the Financial Secretary.

Office of the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints

The Commissioner for Administrative Complaints is an independent authority established under the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints Ordinance to provide, for ordinary citizens, some means whereby an independent person outside the public service can investigate, and report on, grievances arising from administrative decisions, acts, recommendations or omissions. The commissioner has jurisdiction over all government departments except the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption. However, he is an ex-officio member of both the Police Complaints Committee and the Independent Commission Against Corruption Complaints Committee, which oversee investigations into complaints made against members of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The establishment of the commissioner is designed to supplement and strengthen existing channels for the redress of grievances, but not to replace them.

The commissioner's office became operational on March 1, 1989, and began receiving complaints from that date. As required by law, the commissioner submitted his first Annual Report to the Governor at the end of June 1989. The report was tabled in the Legislative Council on July 19, 1989, and received considerable media coverage.

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