CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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collating public views on the business of the Legislative Council; and
promoting public understanding of the Legislative Council's work.
Municipal Councils and District Boards
From July 1, 1997, the two municipal councils and 18 district boards elected during British administration were replaced by provisional bodies. Like the Provisional Legislative Council, this is an interim arrangement and, in any case, their terms will not extend beyond December 31, 1999. These provisional municipal councils and district boards include all those members serving before July 1, 1997, plus extra appointed members.
Provisional Urban Council
The Provisional Urban Council is responsible for providing municipal services to about 3.5 million people in the urban areas, representing 53 per cent of Hong Kong's population. Its responsibilities include safeguarding environmental hygiene and public health as well as providing cultural services and venues and recreational programmes and facilities.
The council comprises 50 councillors. It meets monthly to pass by-laws and formal motions on its activities.
The Standing Committee of the Whole Council meets twice monthly to conduct the council's routine business, while its 14 select committees generally meet once a month. There are also more than 30 sub-committees and working groups which handle specific issues. All meetings are open to the public, except for sensitive items which must be discussed in private.
The Director of Urban Services is the council's Principal Executive Officer as well as the head of the Urban Services Department. The department is the largest civilian department within the HKSAR Government with a staff of about 17 000. The director's responsibilities include planning and directing all aspects of the department's work, and formulating policy proposals for consideration by the Provisional Urban Council. The agreed policies are then implemented by the department as the executive arm of the council.
The council is financially autonomous and spent $7.2 billion on recurrent activities and capital works projects in 1997-98. A share of the rates forms about 80 per cent of the council's income, with the balance coming from licence fees and other charges.
The council has ward offices throughout the urban areas where councillors meet the public. Urban residents may also make their views known through the Members' Duty Roster System, whereby councillors are placed on a duty roster to meet the public, by appointment, twice a week.
Provisional Regional Council
The Provisional Regional Council is responsible for environmental hygiene, food safety, liquor licensing, public health, sanitation and the provision of recreational, sports and cultural facilities and services in the area it serves. This includes the New Territories and the outlying islands which have a total population of over three million.
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