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members) on the lines of English practice though
with somewhat reduced powers and functions and a
greater degree of supervision and control by the
li
central Government. They envisaged the setting
up of a Municipal Council for the urban areas of
Hong Kong and one or possibly two others for
Kowloon and New Kowloon. The Report was not
unanimous.
96. At the same time, an ad hoc committee of
unofficial members of the Urban Council produced
its own Report for the future scope and operation
of the Council. It proposed that there should
be a "greater Hong Kong Council" covering the
whole of the Colony which should have administra-
tive responsibility for "strictly internal
matters" other than security. The Report was in
essence a bid by the Urban Council unofficials
to extend the Council's authority and press com-
ment was critical particularly in regard to the
cost and complications of its proposals.
o. Early in 1968 a secretariat officer (W. V.
Dickinson) was directed, working independently,
to work out a possible alternative to large
scale changes, based on improving the existing
institutions. The Report was completed in March
1968 but was not published. Its recommendations
which were designed to produce interim measures
for early implementation, do not imply the rejec-
tion of some of the wider proposals canvassed in
the Working Party's Report.
When Lord Shepherd visited Hong Kong in
June 1969, he held discussions with the Urban
Council, with the unofficial members of
Legislative and Executive Councils and the
Governor and his officials. In general the
Minister made it clear that he favoured a gradual
and cautious approach to the development of a
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