THE URBAN COUNCIL
25. As mentioned above, the Urban Council is the Competent Authority for Parts IV and V of the Resettlement Ordinance in respect of the urban area. This means, in effect, that it is responsible for the management of the urban estates and cottage areas. It can let and terminate domestic, shop and factory tenancies in resettlement estates and can amend tenancy cards. In cottage areas, it can authorize the erection of buildings on permit, approve the form of hire purchase agree- ments, authorize the occupation of buildings, revoke and amend occupa- tion permits and let Government-owned buildings. The Council delegates its responsibilities to two Select Committees and, in 1965-66, did so in the following terms:
Resettlement Policy Select Committee: To exercise the powers and functions of the Council as a Competent Authority under Parts IV and V of the Resettlement Ordinance 1958, and to determine overall resettlement policies and the planning of future operations.
Resettlement Management Select Committee: To exercise the powers and functions of the Council as a Competent Authority under Parts IV and V of the Resettlement Ordinance 1958, including the power to appoint authorized officers and to:
(i) supervise and carry out the general administration of cottage
resettlement areas;
(ii) make recommendations for the effective administration and
control of the multi-storey resettlement estates.
Membership of these Committees for 1965-66 is given at Appendix III. The Select Committees in turn delegate many of their routine duties to a delegated member who is usually the Commissioner for Resettlement. In addition, some Councillors act as visiting members to particular estates so that they are able to keep themselves and the department informed of estate problems. Officers in the department carry out the day to day business within the policies laid down by the Government, the Urban Council and the Select Committees. Individual appeals from members of the public against the Commissioner's decisions on tenancy matters are referred to the Management Select Committee, on other matters to an Appeals Sub-Committee of the Policy Select Committee. Since the Appeals Sub-Committee generally handles appeals on subjects for which the Urban Council is not the Competent Authority, it can
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