LCQ17: Supernumerary directorate posts created to respond to operational needs swiftly and effectively

Following is a question by the Hon Tam Heung Man and a written reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong, on the creation of supernumerary directorate posts by bureaux/departments to respond to operational needs swiftly and effectively in the Legislative Council today (October 19):

Question:

The Government announced in July this year the establishment of a temporary Permanent Secretary post in the Chief Executive's Office for six months. The post is remunerated at D8 of the Directorate Pay Scale, with duties similar to those of the Director of the Chief Executive's Office who assumes political accountability. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) the position of the recruitment of the Director of the Chief Executive's Office;

(b) of the respective numbers, ranks and duties of the temporary directorate posts established in various policy bureaux and government departments over the past three years; and

(c) whether it has set up any mechanism to monitor the establishment of temporary civil service directorate posts in various policy bureaux and government departments; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The Government will make an announcement once the Chief Executive has appointed the Director of the Chief Executive's Office.

(b) (c) In accordance with section 8 of the Public Finance Ordinance, the Financial Secretary may create supernumerary directorate posts to meet a temporary need lasting not longer than six months. The authority was further delegated to Controlling Officers. In exercising this delegated authority, Controlling Officers must obtain ranking support from the relevant head of grade and prior approval from the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS) and the relevant bureau secretary. They must also confirm the availability of necessary funds to the satisfaction of the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (SFST). Posts may be so created only for temporary and short-term purposes and should last for a period not exceeding six months. Approval of the Establishment Subcommittee (ESC)/Finance Committee (FC) is required if the posts are to be renewed.

Where a Controlling Officer has created a supernumerary directorate post under delegated authority as set out above, he must review the continued need for the post at least three months before its expected expiry date to confirm whether there is a need to retain the post beyond the six-month period. If there is no such need, the post will lapse automatically at the end of the six months (or earlier if the supernumerary post is created for a shorter period).

If the Controlling Officer considers it necessary to retain the supernumerary directorate post beyond the six-month period, he must give full justification to both the relevant bureau secretary and SCS, and also confirm to SFST that he has the necessary funds for the proposed retention. If any of the afore-said bureaux concerned is not satisfied with the justification or funding for the proposed retention, the post will lapse automatically on expiry of the six-month period and it may not be re-created under delegated authority.

If all the bureaux concerned are satisfied with the justification and funding for the retention of the post, the Controlling Officer and the relevant bureau secretary will make a submission to the ESC. If ESC/FC does not approve retention of the post, or if for any reason the submission cannot be made to ESC/FC in time, the post will lapse automatically after six months. The Controlling Officer may not then re-create the post under delegated authority.

The table below shows the number of supernumerary directorate posts created for not more than six months under delegated authority and the number of supernumerary directorate posts created/retained through the ESC/FC from 2003 to 2005 (up to September 2005).

A total of 67 supernumerary directorate posts were created in the past three years involving some twenty ranks in professional and specialist (such as accounting, legal, medical, engineering and information technology), disciplined, departmental and general grades to undertake temporary jobs.

As regards item (i), these posts were created for jobs of a one-off nature which do not exceed six months such as coordinating the implementation of Team Clean initiatives, providing legal input for the Legislative Council Select Committee on SARS Inquiry, reviewing the licensing and regulatory framework for non-franchised buses, and heading an Exercise Planning Team for the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation.

As regards item (ii), these posts were created initially under delegated authority but retained with the approval of ESC/FC to undertake duties such as supporting the Commission on Poverty, the possible merger of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, and preparation for and implementation of the Land Title Registration System.

As regards item (iii), these posts were created through ESC/FC for duties such as planning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project and implementation of the new Academic Structure for Senior Secondary Education and Higher Education.

In conclusion, the above mechanism provides bureaux/departments with the necessary flexibility to respond swiftly and effectively to operational needs. As each proposal to create directorate post is subject to close scrutiny by the policy and resource bureaux, and also put to the relevant Legislative Council panel and then ESC/FC if the post is required beyond six months, these checks and balances in the system will ensure the proper application of the delegated authority.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005