Recent Develop- ments.
CONFIDENTIAL
3.
The New Territories are administered by District
Officers under the District Commissioner with the
assistance of rural committees elected by and from
village representatives. There is also a Consultative
Council for the whole of the New Territories (Heung Yee
Kuk); its functions are entirely advisory.
4.
In view of the spread of urban development into the
New Territories and of pressure from the elected members
of the Urban Council to extend their authority into those
areas, the Governor instituted early in 1966 a general
examination of local government. As a first step an
official Working Party was set up to gather information
on the possible forms of local government suitable
for Hong Kong and to suggest lines of development for
further study and debate.
5. The Working Party's Report was published early in
1967. It recommended the creation of a number of urban
authorities on the lines of English practice, though
with somewhat reduced powers and functions, and a greater
degree of supervision and control by Central Government.
Under their proposals a Municipal Council would be set
up for the urban area of Hong Kong and one, pussibly two,
others for Kowloon and New Kowloon. An Urban District
Council was suggested for Tseun Wan but apart from this
the Working Party saw no good reason for changes in the
New Territories administration which was generally regarded
as satisfactory by the inhabitants. The Report was not
unaminous, one member being in favour of a single authority
/for......
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CONFIDENTIAL