GR 2100
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCK 011/3
CONFIDENTIAL
MILA
ISTRY
1 6 MAY 1984
PA
413
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DESKBY 151000Z
FM HONG KONG 15084OZ MAY 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1324 OF 15 MAY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
13/5
MY SECOND IPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PARLIAMENTARY DEBITE.
FOLLOWING IS DRAFT TEXT OF STATEMENT TO BE MADE BY SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS IN LEGCO TOMORROW.
BEGINS.
IN HIS STATEMENT IN THIS COUNCIL ON 15 FEBRUARY LAST, THE CHIEF SECRETARY OUTLINED FOUR PROPOSALS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG. THEY WERE
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FIRST, THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED BY INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE ELECTED ELEMENT:
SECOND, THAT IN SOME LARGE AND COMPLEX DISTRICTS, SUCH AS TSUEN WAN, IT MIGHT BE DESIRABLE TO CREATE MORE DISTRICT BOARDS TO SERVE SMALLER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS:
THIRD, THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO DEVELOPING THE URBAN MANAGEMENT ROLE OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS: AND
FOURTH, THAT A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL SHOULD BE SET UP TO COVER THOSE AREAS NOT UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THAT THE OPPORTUNITY SHOULD POSSIBLY BE TAKEN TO RE-ALIGN THE REGIONAL BOUNDARIES, AND THAT THE PROVISION OF SOME OF THE SERVICES PRESENTLY PROVIDED BY THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE BROUGHT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE TWO COUNCILS.
2. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THESE PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN WELCOMED BY THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION AND MANY POINTS OF DETAIL HAVE BEEN MADE. THE ONLY AREA OF CONTROVERSY HAS BEEN THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A SECOND REGIONAL COUNCIL. I SHALL, THEREFORE, DEAL WITH THE FOURTH PROPOSAL FIRST.
3. THERE HAS BEEN NO QUARREL WITH THE PROPOSITION THAT SERVICES WHICH ARE PROVIDED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SHOULD COME UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A COUNCIL. THE PROPOSAL IN THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S STATEMENT WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SECOND COUNCIL, PARALLEL TO THE URBAN COUNCIL. THE URBAN COUNCIL ADVANCED A PERFECTLY TENABLE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL THAT A SINGLE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE OVER SUPERVISION OF THESE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
/H. THE
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