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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(8) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
(a) Can the Chairman of the Local Administration Select Committee advise this Council what steps have been taken to bring to the Colonial Secretary's attention the Urban Council's views on the Revised Dickinson Report? (b) What steps have been taken, and will continue to be taken, to bring to the attention of the Colonial Secretary and other interested parties the contents of the Urban Council's Revised Report on Local Government? (c) Can the Chairman of the Local Administration Select Committee inquire from the Colonial Secretariat when the contents of the Revised Dickinson Report will be made public so that the Urban Council's views on such report can at the same time be made available to the public?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Taking parts (a) and (b) together, a combined English and Chinese version of the Urban Council's Second Report on the Reform of Local Government was printed and put on sale to the public in May of this year, and copies were also sent to the Heads of all Government Departments, to the press and radio, and to many other interested parties. In July, a Table of Comparisons between this Council's Report and the Revised Dickinson Recommendations was sent to the Secretariat with the request that permission should be given to publicizing the Table of Comparisons.
As regards part (c), in a reply dated 31st July, the Secretariat pointed out that the Dickinson Report was a confidential document, and regretted that it could not be made public. This reply was conveyed in writing to the Local Administration Select Committee on 2nd August, and it would seem that the Council is bound to treat the Table of Comparisons as confidential also, however much we may regret in this Council that such a measure prevents further public discussion of such an important issue, at least for the present.
Members will agree with me that a categorical statement from the Government is expected. Enough time has passed for a decision to be made on the form which local government will take. Is it to be "frozen"? Or, is orderly development to be encouraged? These and kindred questions remain to be answered.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, why is the Dickinson Report a confidential document?
CHAIRMAN:- This was a Report made to the Government, as you well know, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, and, in fact, the Local Administration Select Committee recognized this fact when they prepared their last report.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I say that the Local Administration Select Committee recognized the fact, but did not accept it.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, can you draw to the attention of the Colonial Secretary the statement, which is attributed to Lord Acton, that "everything secret degenerates, nothing is safe that does not show it can bear discussion and publicity", and ask him to be good enough to supply a copy of the Dickinson Report to members of the Local Administration Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN:- I am afraid I would not be prepared to do that, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. As you know it was ruled that you could not have a copy originally, and I am sure that the rule will still stand. I can make enquiries, but I would not recommend, coming from myself, that it be made available.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- In making enquiries, Mr. Chairman, would you also send up a transcript of that portion of this Council's meeting which has reference to the answering of this question and the supplementary questions and your answers?
CHAIRMAN:- Yes, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Now, Mr. Chairman, can you also enquire from the Government when is a categorical statement from the Government expected on both the Dickinson Report and on the Urban Council's revised report?
CHAIRMAN:- I shall make enquiries.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, am I wrong in thinking that about eighteen months or so ago we did receive a green copy of a report called the Dickinson Report. Is that the Report that you referred to as confidential?
CHAIRMAN:- We are talking about a second report, Mr. Hu, of which you received only a summary of the recommendations.
MR. HU:- We did not receive the detailed report?
CHAIRMAN:- No, not Mr. DICKINSON's report.
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