12 Constitution and Administration
To foster regular dialogue between senior government officials and the DCs, 22 heads of departments, who have direct interface with the public, started attending meetings with DCs separately since January 2007, giving briefings on territory-wide planning, development and matters of interest to the DCs.
Since 2008, the Summits on District Administration have been held periodically to provide a platform for senior Government officials and DC members to share best practices and exchange views on district administration. The first and second summits (including four regional forums and a reporting session) were held smoothly in May 2008 and June/July 2010 respectively. The summits were attended by the Chief Executive, bureau directors and department heads concerned and DC members.
To maintain a direct dialogue with local residents, each DC operates a meet- the-public scheme, under which residents can meet council members face-to-face to express their views on district matters. In addition, many DC members run ward offices to keep in touch with their constituents and to better cater to the needs of their respective communities.
Each district has a District Management Committee, chaired by a District Officer. It comprises the chairman, vice-chairman and committee chairmen of the DC as well as representatives of Government departments providing essential services in the district. The District Management Committee serves as a forum for consultation, co-ordination and collaboration between different departments and the DC to help resolve inter-departmental district issues and to ensure that district needs are met promptly.
There are 63 Area Committees set up in districts to help organise community involvement activities and to advise on local issues to promote public participation in district affairs. Twenty Public Enquiry Service Centres, attached to the District Offices, provide a wide range of free services to the public. These services include answering general enquiries about government services, distributing government forms and disseminating information and administering declarations.
The Public Enquiry Service Centres are also referral agencies of the Free Legal Advice Scheme administered by Duty Lawyer Service. Members of the public wishing to seek free legal advice under the scheme can go to any of them to make appointments to see volunteer lawyers.
Rent Officers from the Rating and Valuation Department are also available at five designated Public Enquiry Service Centres on specified days to advise on tenancy matters. The Public Enquiry Service Centres and the Central Telephone Enquiry Centre served a total of 2.1 million clients in 2011.