HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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voting that follow, we will handle the amendments in the order they were proposed.
According to information provided by the Secretariat, Ms. Ada WONG proposed her amendment first. So Ms. Ada WONG will move her amendment first. When we put the motion to vote, we will vote on Ms. Ada WONG'S amendment first. If the amendment to the motion is carried, votings on the other two motions including the other amendment and the original motion will not be required.
If Ms. WONG's amendment is not carried, we will proceed to vote on Mr. LAM Man-fai's amendment. If Mr. LAM's amendment is carried, Mr. Chan's original motion will not be voted on. But if Mr. LAM's amendment is not carried, we will proceed to vote on Mr. Chan's original motion. That is the procedure to follow today in handling motion number 4.
I now invite Mr. Chan Choi-hi to speak on his motion.
review of the
(4) (a) Mr. Chan Choi-hi moved the following motion:-
'RESOLVED that the Council conduct an overall establishment and organizational structure of the Urban Services Department to enhance operational efficiency and optimize resources, for implementing the future plans of the Select Committees. In conducting the review, besides the Department, a consultancy firm should also be appointed to give assistance.'
He said (in Cantonese):—As a government department, the status of the Urban Services Department is very unique. On the one hand, it is a part of the administrative structure of the Hong Kong Government. On the other, it is the executive arm of the Urban Council responsible for implementing the decisions of the Council. There is some delicacy in this relationship and it is different from other government departments. The relationship of the Department with policy branches, the Finance Branch, its internal financial management, establishment information management etc. are all different from other government departments. That is why for a long time, members of our community have described the Urban Services Department and Urban Council as an 'independent empire'. It shows the community's questioning of such a status. With the continual expansion of the USD structure in recent years, some members of the public have cast suspicions about the Department's management of manpower resources and operational efficiency. For example, for the year 1996/97, there is an increase of 18% on our forecast of expenditure over that for the year 1995/96. That forecast involves, among others, an increase of 1009 new posts accounting for the annual recurrent expenditure of $230 million. Naturally, it makes one worry that there is over-expansion in the Urban Services Department and hence a waste of public money.
As the policy body of the Urban Services Department, the Urban Council is a representative body of public opinions and accountable to the citizens of
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