EXTRA staff will be hired to make good the social reforms set out in the Governor's policy address, said Acting Secretary for the Civil Service, Stuart Harbinson.
He was responding to legislators' criticisms that Mr Patten failed to allocate extra resources to implement his multi-billion dollar proposals to improve people's livelihoods.
Legislators doubted whether the new measures could be implemented, given that the Government had to tightly control growth of the 190,000-strong civil service.
But Mr Harbinson pledged extra manpower would be provided. ''There is no zero growth policy for the civil service,'' he said.
''Additional staff have been and will continue to be provided to meet commitments in accordance with agreed priorities.
''There should therefore be no question of later telling this council that policy initiatives announced in the Governor's policy address could not be implemented,'' he said.
