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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I respond? On 1 December, an article with the heading 'Little indication of t Boards and they asked me 'When is the Urban Council abolished? What coul District Boards replacing the Urban Council' appeared in a local newspaper which went on to say, 'A senior government official disclosed yesterday that the Secretary for City and New Territories Administration was reviewing. He not think there was any indication that the functions of the District Boards he rendered void those of the Urban Council which would be replaced. However he did point out some discrepancies such as existed between the New Territories Services Department and the Urban Services Department.' The tone of the statement does expose the conspiracy. They have not yet done this, but th might do it quite soon.
Retirement of an upright Director of Urban Services
The former Director of Urban Services who is well-known for his uprightness and pragmatism once stated at a Council meeting that on account of absence of a similar Council in the New Territories, Hong Kong was artificially divided into urban areas and the New Territories and that it was merely impractical. He suggested to the highest Authority to extend the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to the New Territories, but after a lengthy debate, the proposal was turned down.
That Director then retired and left Hong Kong with regret when a signature drive by the Department's staff for the continuation of his service came to naught.
In fact what the C.N.T.A. officials describe as 'discrepancies' are created by the Government. It therefore proves that under a colonial government with ulterior motives, truth and common knowledge are submerged.
Setting up a Greater Hong Kong Council to greet the year 1997 Britain's Greater London Council should be the best pattern for Hong Kong. Under that Council, there are many 'district councils', the former responsible for the formulation of policies and the latter, implementation of such policies in the respective districts.
I would like to propose therefore, once again, to extend immediately the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to cover also the New Territories and outlying islands with all the District Boards under it. The powers of the Council should be gradually extended to such areas as legislation, public housing, public transport, social welfare as well as primary and secondary education. All these are functions inherent in a district administrative body in many countries.
If Government is bent on downgrading or even abolishing the Urban Council, then by 1997, the situation will be very chaotic as the District Boards are merely playthings of the City and New Territories Administration. Elected Members on the District Boards comprise only 1/3 of the membership
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the Boards are entirely subjected to the control of Government's District Management Committees which have overriding power over all decisions made by the District Boards. One day if both the official and the appointed Members leave, can the remaining 1/3 elected Members shoulder the responsibilities of handling the district matters? Can they cope with the complicated urban services and administration of Hong Kong? Of course, we have a colonial Government and the colonial Government might leave and we are quite worried about the situation.
Let all of us, whether 'appointed' or 'elected' Members, brace ourselves up and we should object to demands for cutting our power, and we should work together in pressing for the expansion of the Urban Council into a Greater Hong Kong Council on the pattern of the Greater London Council. Let us also accept new responsibilities in relation to 1997 and together build an even better Hong Kong.
Mr. Chairman, I support your motion. But to your views on 1997, I am afraid I cannot consent.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in English):-Sir, before I start reading my very short speech, I think I have to acknowledge one point. This is about the 15th Annual Conventional Debate I attend, and I always submit my speech late, and this time, part of my speech was submitted much after office hour on Saturday, and I found that most of our staff are still working very hard, translating, printing and I think it is fair to put on record that they must be recorded to the staff of the Secretariat, the General Office and the Translation Office. They all work overtime during the weekend so that our speech are properly translated for members of the press in the right language for their use and for our perusal immediately after this debate.
Recently, I received a questionnaire from an organization to which I belong. I have my reservation about the whole process of this so-called survey. Anyway I have answered all the questions that I have to answer and sent in accordingly and beautifully.
On further reflection, as a person in public service for over 14 years, I think it would be fair to those who have supported me in the past to let them know my answers to the questions and have them placed on public record. Sir, with your permission, I am tabling this paper as appendix I and I request it to be treated as part of my speech.
Perhaps it would be a good idea that I read out this very short question and answer here and now. It composes of 5 questions. The first question asked me whether I am a local or expatriate. The answer is definitely from the look of it, I am a local. Are you in possession of a passport or passports. My answer is in the column of a passport, only one. If yes, which of the following passport(s) you hold? British (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Certificate of Identity, British (U.K.). U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Singapore, Portugal, Dominican Republic,
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