ENG-2017 — Page 47

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Constitution and Administration

specific functions. The government maintains a regular turnover of members to ensure broad participation and the inclusion of fresh perspectives.

Some of the advisory bodies, such as the Advisory Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, deal with the interests of a particular industry. Others, such as the Transport Advisory Committee, advise on a particular area of government policy. Statutory bodies, such as the Hospital Authority, have legal powers and responsibilities to perform specific functions according to the relevant legislation.

Civil Service

The civil service is a permanent, honest, meritocratic, professional and politically neutral institution responsible to the Chief Executive. It supports the government in formulating, explaining and implementing policies, conducting administrative affairs, delivering public services, and undertaking law enforcement and regulatory functions. As at 31 December, the total strength of the civil service was 170,300, excluding about 1,500 judges, judicial officers and ICAC officers. This amounted to about 4.3 per cent of Hong Kong's labour force.

The Civil Service Bureau has overall policy responsibility for the management of the civil service, including appointments, pay and conditions of service, performance management, manpower planning, training and development, staff relations, and conduct and discipline. The bureau is also the focal point for consultation with major staff associations and manages a number of grades, including Administrative Officers, Executive Officers, and clerical and secretarial staff. Management of the civil service is governed mainly by three instruments: the Public Service (Administration) Order, the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation and the Civil Service Regulations, all made with the authority of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive is advised on civil service appointments, promotions and discipline by the Public Service Commission, an independent statutory body set up under the Public Service Commission Ordinance. The Chief Executive is also advised on civil service pay and conditions of service by three independent bodies: the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service, which represents directorate officers excluding judges, judicial officers and the disciplined services but including the heads of the disciplined services; the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service, representing the disciplined services except the heads of the disciplined services; and the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service (SCCS), representing all other civil servants.

The government's civil service pay policy is to offer sufficient remuneration to attract, retain and motivate staff of suitable calibre to provide the public with an effective, efficient and high- quality service. In order that civil service pay is regarded as fair and reasonable by both civil servants who provide the service and the public who foot the bill, the government adopts the principle that civil service pay should be broadly comparable with private-sector pay. Pay comparisons are achieved through three periodic surveys, namely the Pay Level Survey, the Starting Salaries Survey and the annual Pay Trend Survey. In June, the SCCS accepted the government's invitation to conduct a review of the methodology and related issues of the Pay Level Survey and the Starting Salaries Survey.

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