Style The Honourable | Reports to Legislative Council | |
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Member of Government Secretariat
Executive Council Residence Victoria House, 15 Barker Road, The Peak Appointer State Council of the People's Republic of China
nomination by Chief Executive Term length No longer than the Chief Executive's remaining term (No constitutional or statutory limits, but no CS would receive employment contract longer than the CE's remaining term since POAS was in place in 2002.) | ||
The Chief Secretary for Administration (Chinese: 政務司司長), commonly known as the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, is the most senior principal official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Secretary is the head of the Government Secretariat which oversees the administration of the Region to which all other ministers belong, and is accountable for his or her policies and actions to the Chief Executive and to the Legislative Council.
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The Chief Secretary formulates and implements government policy, gives advice to the Chief Executive as a member of the Executive Council, and is responsible for managing the Government's relationship with the Legislative Council and drawing up the Government's legislative programme. The office also exercises certain statutory functions, such as the handling of appeals from designated public bodies.
Prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, the office was known simply as "Chief Secretary" (布政司), and before 1976, "Colonial Secretary" (輔政司). Until the introduction of the Principal Officials Accountability System in 2002, the Chief Secretary was a civil service position, and in this capacity, the head of the public service. In 2005, Henry Tang became the first person who has not been a civil servant to be appointed to the office of the Chief Secretary.
List of Secretaries
From the 1870s to 1902 the Colonial Secretary was de facto Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong. The role was once held by the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong. After 1902 the title disappeared from use as the second highest post was transferred to the Colonial Secretary and late Chief Secretary.
Chief Secretaries for Administration, 1997–present
Political party: Nonpartisan
Residence
The Chief Secretary resides at an official residence at 15 Barker Road, The Peak, Hong Kong, which is also known as Victoria House and Victoria Flats.