8 Constitution and Administration
Funds to help District Councils implement minor environmental improvement and community involvement projects have been increased from $130 million in 1999- 2000 to $173.5 million in 2005-06.
Each District Council operates a meet-the-public scheme, under which residents can meet council members face to face to express their views on any district problems. The scheme has been well received by the public. It also provides District Councils a direct channel to collect public views on local matters and region-wide issues. Each district has a District Management Committee, chaired by the District Officer, comprising the chairman, vice-chairman and committee chairmen of the District Council and representatives of departments providing essential services in the district. This committee serves as a forum for inter-departmental consultation on district matters and coordinates the provision of public services and facilities to ensure that district needs are met promptly. Area Committees have also been set up in the 18 districts to encourage public participation in district affairs, help organise community activities and government campaigns and advise on local issues.
Mutual Aid Committees are building-based resident organisations, established to improve the security, cleanliness and general management of multi-storey buildings. At year-end, there were 70 Area Committees and 3 039 Mutual Aid Committees. They provide an extensive network of communication between the Government and people at grassroots level.
Apart from Mutual Aid Committees, the Government also devotes time and effort to helping owners of private multi-storey buildings to form Owners' Corporations to facilitate effective management and timely maintenance of their buildings. At year-end, 7 807 Owners' Corporations were registered with the Land Registry.
The Home Affairs Department has established four Building Management Resource Centres in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories to enhance its services in building management. These centres provide information, services and advice to building owners, residents, Owners' Corporations, Mutual Aid Committees and management bodies to assist them in improving the standards of management, safety and maintenance of their buildings. In 2005, the four centres handled a total of 75 645 visitors, 87 488 enquiries and 381 appointments for interviews with members of professional bodies.
Twenty Public Enquiry Service Centres are attached to the District Offices, providing a wide range of free services to the public. These services include answering general enquiries on government services; distributing government forms and information; administering oaths and declarations; and referring cases under the District Council members' meet-the-public scheme, the Free Legal Advice Scheme and the Rent Officer Scheme. The Public Enquiry Service Centres and the Central Telephone Enquiry Centre served a total of 2.09 million clients in 2005.