ENG-2002 — Page 50

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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Language

The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English. It is the Government's policy to develop and maintain a Civil Service that is proficient in both written Chinese and English and conversant in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English. While reports and publications of public interest issued by the Government are available in both languages, correspondence with the public is in the language appropriate to the recipients. The Official Languages Agency provides language- related services to all government bureaux/departments. In addition to providing translation and interpretation services, its Chinese Language Officers also draft speeches and edit important documents in Chinese for senior officers. Simultaneous interpretation services are provided by its Simultaneous Interpreters at official meetings when necessary.

The agency has been promoting the wider use of Chinese in the Civil Service through a wide range of activities including seminars and lectures on Chinese language and culture. Recognising the increasing demand for civil servants to be conversant in Putonghua, the agency has also stepped up efforts to promote Putonghua. During the '2002 Putonghua Month' organised by the Putonghua League of Hong Kong from September 15 to October 13, it hosted a web-based Putonghua Quiz for all civil servants.

The agency also provides central research and support services. It runs a Helpdesk which answers telephone enquiries from civil servants on the use of official languages. It develops writing aids and reference materials, such as guidebooks on official Chinese writing and English-Chinese glossaries of terms commonly used in government departments. In order to arouse the interest of civil servants in Chinese and English, the agency publishes a quarterly newsletter entitled Word Power. The agency's publication and reference materials can be accessed at its home page.

Government Records Service

The Government Records Service manages government records and provides a full range of records and archival management services through its two offices: the Records Management Office (RMO) and the Public Records Office (PRO).

The RMO develops and oversees the implementation of a comprehensive system to manage records effectively and efficiently. It also operates Records Centres as central repositories for storage of inactive records transferred from government agencies. The provision of centralised storage facilities has helped to not only enhance records management practices but also realise notional savings on rental for storing inactive records in government offices.

To support continuous improvement in managing government records, the RMO develops and organises a series of well-structured and comprehensive records management training courses for different levels of records officers and personnel. It organises briefings and seminars on selected records management topics for government agencies. The RMO also conducts records management consultancy studies and special review assignments for government agencies to help them improve the quality of records services and enhance cost-effectiveness in records management. The PRO is one of the largest storehouses of treasured information for historical and other studies relating to Hong Kong. It selects, acquires and preserves records of enduring value from both government and private sources. The bulk of its archival