t
CONFIDENTIAL
was directed, working independently, to work out a
possible alternative to large scale changes, based
on improving the existing institutions. This officer
completed his report in March, 1968. His recommendations,
which were designed to produce interim measures for
early implementation, left untouched the area of
jurisdiction of the present Urban Council;
proposed
a separate Local Authority for the new town of Tsuen
Wan in the New Territories; left the existing Urban
Council franchise untouched for at least four years;
envisaged a majority of elected members on the Urban
Council (to be renamed the Municipal Council) and
recommended that officials should cease to be members
of the Council. He also proposed a wider range of
functions for the Council coupled with a measure of
financial responsibility.
9.
Meanwhile the ad hoc Committee of the Urban
Council (i.e. the authors of the report referred to
in paragraph 6 above) had been reconstituted by the
Urban Council as a Select Committee "to review and
consider all proposals in the reform of local
administration, and generally to present the Urban
Council's views on the subject......
This
Select Committee produced a report which was published
and submitted to the Hong Kong Government in March,1969,
and which took account of the recommendations in the
Dickinson Report. In effect, it proposed a phased
programme for the introduction over a period of years
of the proposals (with certain modification) outlined
/in......
-4-
CONFIDENTIAL