Otherwise, the Council will in future be required to pay for all services rendered or materials provided by Government Departments.
Title to land
27. The title to the various pieces of land and property which the Urban Council occupies will continue to be held by Government. Once any such land ceases to be required for the purpose for which Govern- ment allocated it to the Council, then it will revert to the Crown free of charge.
Urban Council interest in public housing
28. Urban Council Unofficials at present play two roles in public housing matters. As the Urban Council, they are responsible for the management of urban resettlement estates; and as ex-officio Members of the Housing Authority, they are responsible for building and manag- ing blocks of low-income flats. In addition, the Housing Authority, at cost, manages all Government low-cost housing and, for a fee, new housing schemes for local employees of Government. The Council's March 1969 Report suggested that all forms of public housing should be placed under one department controlled by the Urban Council with the Director of the Department a Member of the Council. However the size, complexity and Colony-wide nature of the housing problem seem to be arguments in favour of severing the Council's present connection with housing matters rather than extending it. In other words, any interest the Councillors might have in housing matters in the future should centre round the Housing Authority rather than the Urban Council. A decision will have to be made soon on the future co- ordination and control of public housing and, in the meantime, it is not possible to consider any increase in the Council's present responsi- bilities in this field.
29. To preserve the status quo in the Housing Authority until such time as a decision is taken on the co-ordination of public housing, it will be necessary to amend the Housing Ordinance (Chapter 283) to provide that the Officials who are now members by virtue of their Urban Council membership will continue to be members of the Hous- ing Authority after their membership of the Urban Council has ceased. Geographical boundaries
30. It is proposed that the Urban Council should continue to operate within the same geographical limits as at present.
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