Anson unenthusiastic about proposal to create new tier of deputies

Updated at 6.43pm: Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang on Wednesday was not impressed with a government proposal to create a new layer of politically-appointed deputy ministers.

Mrs Chan doubted whether the appointees ? who would serve as deputy ministers or assistant ministers to policy bureaus ? would be accountable to the public or the chief executive who appointed them.

?I cannot see how the proposals in the consultation document move us in the direction of a more responsive and accountable government that I believe we should be aiming for,? she said during a luncheon on Wednesday afternoon.

?All they really do, it seems to me, is to consolidate power in the hands of the chief executive at the possible expense of accountability to the public and the elected legislature which we have worked so hard to achieve,? Mrs Chan said.

The government is proposing to recruit a deputy minister and an assistant minister to each of the 11 policy bureaus to conduct political lobbying work, at a cost of HK$62 million a year. It sees the move as a way of grooming political talent.

The former chief secretary said these politically appointed positions would sap the civil service?s morale.