CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
problems. The scheme has been well received by the public. It also provides a direct channel to collect public views on local issues for the Provisional District Boards, which will then reflect them to the government.
Each district has a District Management Committee, chaired by the District Officer, comprising representatives of departments providing essential services in the district. The chairman of the Provisional District Board is invited to attend District Management Committee meetings as an observer to improve communication between the committee and the board. The committee 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.
Area Committees were set up in 1972 to support the 'Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign' and 'Fight Violent Crime Campaign'. Nowadays, the functions of Area Committees are to encourage public participation in district affairs, help organise community activities and government campaigns, and advise on issues of a local
nature.
Mutual Aid Committees are building-based resident organisations, established to improve the security, cleanliness and general management of multi-storey buildings. About 70 Area Committees and 3 900 Mutual Aid Committees provide an extensive network of communication between the government and the people at the grassroots level.
Attached to the district offices are 19 public enquiry service centres, which provide a wide range of free services to members of the public, including answering general enquiries on government services; distributing government forms and information material; administering oaths and declarations; and referring cases under the Provisional District Board Members' 'meet-the-public' scheme, the free Legal Advice Scheme and Rent Officer Scheme. The public enquiry service centres and central telephone enquiry centre handled 3.01 million clients in 1998.
Reform of District Organisations
Noting the views collected during a public consultation exercise on the review of municipal councils and district boards in June and July 1998, the government decided in October that, subject to the Legislative Council's approval, the structure for delivery of municipal services should be overhauled after the terms of office of the members of the provisional municipal councils expire by the end of 1999. To address the problem of fragmentation of responsibilities among various agencies in the area of food safety and environmental hygiene, a new policy bureau for the environment and food and a new department of food and environmental hygiene will be set up to oversee and undertake all food safety and environment hygiene services, including those currently provided by the provisional municipal councils.
The government is also devising a new structure to provide policy direction and services concerning arts and culture and sports and recreation. It is intended that the new structure will strengthen professional and community input and ensure effective use of resources. Against this background, there is no need for the provisional municipal councils to be retained after 1999.
The majority of people favour retaining the District Boards. They will be kept and renamed 'District Councils' when their members' terms of office expire on December 31, 1999. They will be given extra resources and responsibilities. In particular, their
香港中央參考圖書館
HONG KONG CENTRAL REFERENCE LIBRARV
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