CONFIDENTIAL
5.
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by the Urban Council in regulations or by-laws which are submitted to the Governor for the Legislative Council's approval. Fees for the various facilities at the City Hall are made by the Urban Council as regulations and approved by the Governor, while fees for the Hong Kong Stadium are determined by the Urban Council and approved by the Colonial Secretariat. It would be desirable in future to have the same authority for all Urban Council fees; and the most appropriate authority would be the Legislative Council. The intention is that Urban Council by-laws generally should continue to be presented to Legislative Council for approval, and sometimes, of course, fees are included in "non-financial" by-laws.
he proposal therefore is that Urban Council fees should be determined by Urban Council by-laws approved by
Legislative Council; and that the City Hall and
Hong Kong Stadium fees should likewise be presented to Legislative Council for approval (rather than to the Governor and the Colonial Secretary).
:
The essential feature of this proposal for an Urban Council rate is that the Council would have to justify publicly each and every application for an increase in its rate, and it is hoped that this will give the Council greater scope for exercising responsibility. Every application for an increase in its rate would, if the Governor so recommended under Standing Order 23(1), be submitted to the Legislative Council for approval, modification or rejection. If the Urban Council rate yield should increase sharply the question of reducing its rate might arise, either on the Urban Council's own initiative or on the Legislative Council's initiative should it consider that the rate income is excessive in relation to the Urban Council's commitments and discretionary expenditure, including the creation of reasonable
reserves.
CONFIDENTIAL
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