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Following is the transcript (English portion) of remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, at a media session on the report by Legislative Council Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-service Work of Mr Leung Chin-man today (December 8):
Reporter: Secretary, you have twice apologised for this issue. Do you have to demonstrate the accountability by stepping down?
Secretary for the Civil Service: I take full responsibility for my approval of Mr Leung's application to work in New World China Land Limited because I did not take into consideration his involvement in helping the government to resolve the Hunghom Peninsula development incident. For this, I have caused a lot of public concerns and doubts. I apologised for my overlooking Mr Leung's involvement in the Hunghom Peninsula development. My colleagues, who helped me to consider each application of post-service employment, and I, have learnt lessons from this particular incident. Since August 2008, we have considered every such application in great detail and in the broadest and deepest perspective. I think my urgent task is to carefully study the recommendations of the Select Committee as well as the recommendations of the Independent Review Committee appointed by the Chief Executive some time ago. My objective is now to see how the administration can further improve upon the current post-service control regime so that we can avoid and reduce future possibilities of causing similar concerns to the public.
Reporter: As an accountability official, do you demonstrate that by taking the full responsibility?
Secretary for the Civil Service: As I said earlier, I take responsibility for the approval of this particular application. Lessons have been learnt. We will continue our efforts to further improve upon the existing control regime.
Reporter: What do you think about the recommendations made by the Select Committee? When will the bureau announce the measures to improve the regime?
Secretary for the Civil Service: We are now actively considering the recommendations of the Select Committee and those recommendations of the Independent Review Committee appointed by the Chief Executive some time ago and which has published its report. We will, of course, address this particular very important task with great speed and I hope to make my recommendations to the authorities as soon as possible.
Reporter: (inaudible, on the let-down by the performance of the officials)
Secretary for the Civil Service: I am the decision maker. The buck stops with me. I am responsible and I take responsibilities for my approval of Mr Leung's application. I have apologised to the public in August 2008 when this incident was first reported by the media. I like to take this opportunity to apologise to the public again for causing the public concern and doubts on my decision. My colleagues and I have learnt lesson from this particular incident. In fact, as soon as the incident was reported in August 2008, we have since been considering every post-service application with grave care, both in terms of width and depth. In the coming weeks, we will actively and positively consider the recommendations of the Select Committee as well as the recommendations of the Review Committee. And we hope to further improve upon the existing control regime as soon as possible.
Reporter: Will you let down ...... that is the point of my question.
Secretary for the Civil Service: If there is any let-down, I have let down members of the public by my decision to approve Mr Leung's application.
Reporter: Secretary, if Leung Chin-man had put down all the information he should have, do you think you would have made another decision?
Secretary for the Civil Service: I am not in a position to answer that question because had that aspect been considered in the process. First of all, colleagues involved in processing Mr Leung's application might not have made the same recommendation to me. Equally important, had this aspect been considered, we would have brought this aspect to the attention of the Advisory Committee. Whether or not the Advisory Committee would give me the same advice as it had done is something I could not say. So I would not be able to answer your hypothetical question. Thank you very much.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:58
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