There is no "revolving door" between politically-appointed officials and civil servants, the government has stressed, despite Chief Executive Donald Tsang's proposal that one should be opened. Tsang's idea is that the so-called "revolving door" would attract more political talent to the government. It is, however, only a proposal that is not likely to materialize within the term of the present government, said the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam.

Democratic Party lawmaker Cheung Man-kwong raised the issue Monday morning, as legislators continued to hear policy briefings on last week's Policy Address. Cheung noted that the Chief Executive said in the address, that the government would study more flexible arrangements to expand the pool of political talent. The intention would be to create mechanisms to attract new political party members from among the ranks of academics, business people and professionals and elite civil servants. The Chief Executive also mentioned introducing a "revolving door".

Cheung questioned whether the proposal would amount to a "post-employment arrangement" for civil servants who have joined the political team, later to rejoin to the civil service. If this were to happen, he argued, it would damage the image of political neutrality in which civil servants are viewed.

Secretary for the Civil Service responded that there is no such thing as a "revolving door" for people to return to the civil service and there will be no change of the current system within the tenure of this government.

Several lawmakers raised the same question at a later meeting in the afternoon. Lawmaker Cyd Ho asked what control measures are in place to prevent conflict of interests when a political appointee returns to the business field in possession of a great deal of important, sensitive information.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam said "departed" political appointees are subject to a "sanitization period" prior to seeking post-service employment. Lawmaker Regina Ip contended the existing mechanism is unfair. Whilst political appointees are subject to a control period of only one year, senior civil servants are subject to a much longer period.

She cited a number of cases in which senior officials of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority took up banking posts within one year after leaving the monetary authority. In particular, its current chief executive Norman Chan, after leaving the authority as deputy chief executive in 2005, joined a bank just a few months later.

Lam reiterated that there is no such thing as a "revolving door" allowing government officials to return to the civil service. "The government has high regard on the politically neutral, permanent civil service, which is one of Hong Kong's core values," he said. "What the Chief Executive proposes is just a review in the broad sense, but any change will only happen in the term of the next government."

As to cases involving Hong Kong Monetary Authority, he redirected them to the Financial Secretary's Office. By Joseph Li

（China Daily）