LPP SUBMIS
BACKGROUND
Urban Council
Existing Local Government Bodies
10. The Urban Council has statutory responsibility for
operating the basic sanitary services in the urban areas of
Hong Kong/Kowloon and also a variety of other duties in the
field of public health, such as the supervision of food
premises, hawkers, operation of slaughter houses and pest
control; it also has responsibilities for the removal and
re-settlement of squatters within the urban areas. It is
empowered to make byelaws for the regulation and control of
these matters, subject to the approval of the Legislative
Council. It has, however, no rating powers and its respon-
sibilities are carried through the Urban Services Department (a Government Department) the Director of which is Chairman
of the Council.
11. In addition to the Chairman, the Council consists of
five ex officio and twenty unofficial members, of whom ten
are elected and ten are appointed by the Governor.
The term
Urban
of office of the unofficial members is four years.
Council elections, at which half of the elected seats are
contested are held bi-annually. In spite of considerable
coverage in the press and radio, public interest is low.
12. In 1965 the decision was taken to extend the franchise
for Urban Council elections to an estimated 240,000; in the
event, less than 30,000 persons registered as electors. The
number of voters in the 1969 elections was 8,178 or 23.80% of
registered electors.
New
Territories
13. The New Territories are administered by District
Officers under the District Commissioner, with the assistance
of rural committees elected by and from village representatives.
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