7 -
15.
Legislation will be required to establish, first,
the Provisional Council and then the Regional Council and will
be introduced by the Government for debate in this Council in
the usual way.
16.
proposals.
Let me
now turn to the three less controversial
17.
The proposal to increase the number of elected
members on District Boards has been welcomed, but there has
been no demand for a reduction in numbers or elimination of
the appointed members. Quite the reverse. It is recognised
that the appointed members have considerable experience and
make valuable contributions to the work of the Boards. These
views are shared by elected members, the public and indeed
the Government alike.
18.
Our aim is that, after the March 1985 elections,
the balance between elected and appointed members will be 2: 1.
This ratio will be applied with flexibility to take account
of the special circumstances of some of the districts.
following guidelines will be used in determining the number
of elected members on District Boards :
The
in the urban districts, there will be one elected
seat for a population of 25,000 to 30,000 people;