CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
There are 19 district boards throughout the territory. Each board consists of appointed non-government members, elected members from the respective constituencies and, in the case of the New Territories, rural committee chairmen. The elected members are in the majority. For the present term of the district boards (1991-4), there are altogether 274 elected and 140 appointed members.
The last district board general election was held on March 3, 1991. A total of 472 candidates were nominated for the 274 elected seats. Eighty-one candidates in 65 constituencies were returned unopposed. The election in one constituency was counter- manded following the death of a candidate in that constituency leaving 191 seats to be contested by 386 candidates on election day. Of the 1.3 million registered voters in constituencies where the seats were contested, 424 023 (32.5 per cent) turned out to vote, compared with the 30.3 per cent turnout rate for the last election in 1988.
The functions of the district boards are basically to advise the government on a wide range of matters affecting the well-being of the people living and working in the districts. Through the advice they make important contributions to the management of district affairs. They also help monitor the work of government departments at district level. In addition, they are often invited to give views on important territory-wide issues, such as review of the Town Planning Ordinance, public housing policy and the reform on primary health care. Where funds are available, they undertake minor environmental improvement projects and help organise and sponsor activities to promote community involvement in the districts. In 1991-2, $56.9 million was provided, with the assistance of the two Municipal Councils, for these purposes.
Each district board operates a 'meet-the-public' scheme under which district residents may, by appointment, meet the board members face-to-face to express their views on any district problems and suggest ways for improvement. The scheme has been well received by the general public and proved effective in providing a direct channel for collecting public views on local issues and reflecting them to the government.
The 20 Public Enquiry Service Centres throughout the territory provide a wide range of free services to members of the public, including answering general enquiries on govern- ment services, distributing government forms and information materials, administering oaths and declarations for private use, referring cases under the Meet-the-Public Scheme, Free Legal Advice Scheme and Rent Officer Scheme. To strengthen the public enquiry service and enable members of the public to make enquiries without having to travel to a public enquiry centre, a Central Telephone Enquiry Centre was set up at the City and New Territories Administration with effect from April 1, 1991.
In each district there is a district management committee, chaired by the district officer, comprising representatives of departments providing essential services in the district. It serves as a forum for inter-departmental consultation on district matters and co-ordinates the provision of public services and facilities to ensure that district needs are met promptly. The committee works closely with the district board and, as far as possible, follows the advice given by the board.
Area Committees and Mutual Aid Committees have become an important component of the district administration scheme. They were set up in the early 1970s throughout the territory in support of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign and Fight Violent Crime Campaign. Each area committee serves a population of about 40 000 to 50 000, and members are appointed from a wide spectrum of the community. Mutual aid committees
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