23.
bodies with a
二
The Urban and Regional Councils are financially autonomous range of statutory responsibilities for the provision of muncipal services such as public cleansing, licensing restaurants
and markets and the provision and management of recreational,
cultural and sporting facitities. The Urban Council's authority
extends
that Hong Kong Island and Kowloon;
of the Regional
Council, which was formally constituted on 1 April 1986, over the
New Territories.
Both Councils include elected and appointed
To maintain close connections between district and
members.
over
as
members of
regional levels of representative government, members of the Urban
Council sit
District Boards, whilst the New
Territories District Boards elect members to sit on the Regional
Council.
24.
to
The
The principal functions of the Legislative Council are enact Legislation and control the expenditure of public funds. Council questions the Administration on matters of public interest and debates its proposals in regard to policy. Until 1985 the
Council consisted of appointed members only. principles laid down in the 1984 Hong Kong
:
the Further Development of Represe
Representative
District
Following
the
Government White Paper on
Government in Hong Kong,
24 members of the Council have, since 1985, been chosen by a system of indirect elections. Twelve are elected by an electoral college
all members of the comprising
and Boards
the Urban and
Regional Councils; and twelve by functional constituencies representing significant sectors of the community.
The Legislative Council
25.
Legislative Council
The 1985/86 session of the
marked a
significant stage in its history. In addition to the introduction of elected members for the first time, the size of
the first time, the size of the Council was increased from 45 to 56, and the number of civil servant members was
reduced from 16 to 10. The Council
Council also moved to a new Chamb e
physically separate from the central Government offices, and
weekly, instead of
every two weeks.
In addition to dealing wit
some 72 Bills at various stages of enactment, Council members asked