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23
cultural and
The Urban and Regional Councils are financially autonomous
bodies with a 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
facilities
The Urban Council's authority
extends over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon; that 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
sporting
members
regional levels of representative
government, members
of the Urban
whilst the New
Council sit as members of District Boards
Territories District Boards elect members to sit On the Regional
Council
24.
The principal
enact legislation and
Until 1985 the
Following the
functions of
the Legislative Council are to
control the expenditure of public funds. The
Council questions the Administration on matters of public interest
and debates its proposals in regard to policy
Council consisted of appointed members only.
principles laid down in the 1984 Hong Kong Government White Paper on
the Further Development of Representative 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
comprising all members of the District Boards and the Urban and
Regional Councils;
twelve by functional constituencies
and
representing significant sectors of the community.
The Legislative Council
25.
The 1985/86
in
session of the Legislative Council marked a
its history In addition to the introduction
significant stage
of elected members
increased from 45 to 56, and the number of civil
for the first time, the size of the Council was
The Council also moved
the central Government
two weeks.
met
servant members was
to a new Chamber,
and offices,
In addition to dealing with
various stages of enactment Council members asked supplementary questions of official members,
reduced from 16 to 10.
physically
from separate
weekly, instead of every
some 72 Bills at
296 questions and
797
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