CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
Regional Council
The Regional Council is the statutory municipal authority for the New Territories where more than two million people live. Like its sister council in the urban area, the Regional Council is responsible for all matters concerning environmental hygiene, public health, sanitation, liquor licensing and the provision of recreation, sports and cultural facilities and services within its jurisdiction.
The Regional Council consists of 36 members. Twelve are elected directly, nine are elected as representatives of the nine district boards within the Regional Council area and 12 are appointed by the Governor. The remaining three are ex-officio members, being the chairman and two vice-chairmen of the Heung Yee Kuk. The chairman and vice-chairman of the council are elected by members among themselves.
The council's policies are implemented by its executive arm, the Regional Services Department, which has a staff of over 9 000.
The council is financially autonomous. Its main source of revenue comes from rates collected in the council area which in 1989-90 provided about 69 per cent of total revenue, with the remainder being fees and charges, investment income and government grant. A grant of $273.6 million received in 1989-90 was the second of three equal annual in- stalments of a total grant of $820.8 million payable by government effective from 1988–9 to enable the council to fund its own capital works programme. In 1989-90, total revenue amounted to $1,983.9 million while total expenditure amounted to $1,205.2 million.
The-council meets monthly to deal with policy issues, formal motions and members' questions on its activities. The council has set up four functional select committees, nine geographically-based district committees and a Liquor Licensing Board. The four select committees deal with finance and administration, capital works, environmental hygiene, and recreation and culture, while the district committees deal with and monitor the provision of services and advise on the management of council facilities in individual districts. The select committees meet monthly, the district committees meet bi-monthly and the Liquor Licensing Board meets quarterly. All meetings of the council, its select committees, district committees, as well as the Liquor Licensing Board, are open to the public.
The Regional Council maintains close liaison with the district boards in the New Territories and Heung Yee Kuk to ensure that local aspirations and views are taken into account in its deliberations. Four members from district boards as well as other personalities are co-opted to each of the district committees of the council, thus providing an opportunity for the views of district representatives to be taken into account in the planning and provision of services and facilities.
The council elects a member to the Legislative Council. In addition, it is represented on a number of organisations whose work is closely related to that of the council. These organisations include the Council for the Performing Arts, the Council for Recreation and Sport, the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the Chung Ying Theatre, the Antiquities Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of the Institute for Research and Consultancy of the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, and the Hygiene Services Advisory Committee.
District Administration
District boards are statutory bodies established in 1982 to provide an effective forum for public consultation and participation in the administration of the districts.
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