WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1980
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WHITE PAPER EXPECTED AT END OF YEAR
******
THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IT IS HOPED THE WHITE PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WILL BE PUBLISHED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
HE ADDED THAT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION MIGHT THEN BE INTRODUCED EARLY IN 1981 TO PAVE THE WAY FOR ELECTIONS UNDER A NEW SYSTEM PERHAPS IN THE SPRING OF 1982.
IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE, A SUBSTANTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF GOVERNMENT MANPOWER WOULD BE NECESSARY, AND A TENTATIVE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN WORKED OUT PROGRESSIVELY TO SET UP DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES AND DISTRICT BOARDS IN ALL DISTRICTS (THOUGH UNTIL ELECTIONS ARE HELD THE DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD CONSIST OF APPOINTED MEMBERS ONLY).+
HE SAID THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO SET UP A DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IN WONG TAI SIN AND A DISTRICT BOARD IN KWUN TONG WHERE THERE IS ALREADY A MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
+SIMILAR STEPS WOULD FOLLOW WE HOPE AT ABOUT THREE MONTHLY INTERVALS IN OTHER URBAN DISTRICTS UNTIL ALL ARE COVERED, THE GOVERNOR SAID.
ON THIS TENTATIVE PROGRAMME OF SETTING UP DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES AND BOARDS, SIR MURRAY REASSURED THE COUNCIL ON TWO POINTS t
* THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES MUST BE OF ADEQUATE CALIBRE AND THE POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE IR MEMBERS IN THE DEPARTMENTS THEY REPRESENT MUST BE CLEARLY DEFINED. IN NO DISTRICT WILL THE SETTING UP OF A DISTRICT BOARD BE PROCEEDED WITH UNTIL AN ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IS IN PLACE TO WORK WITH IT.
* THE BOARDS MUST HAVE FUNDS THAT THEY CAN SPEND ON
THE IR OWN INITIATIVE FOR DEFINED PURPOSES. THIS APPLIES PARTICULARLY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WHERE URBAN COUNCIL FUNDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BUT ALSO TO A LESSER EXTENT IN THE URBAN DISTRICTS TOO, AND THE LATTER COULD BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT INFRINGING URBAN COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVES. THE REAL POWER OF THE BOARDS WILL BE THROUGH THE INFLUENCE THEY EXERT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OFFICIALS AND THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THEIR OWN.
SIR MURRAY SAID HONG KONG WAS NOW TOO LARGE, TOO COMPLEX AND GEOGRAPHICALLY TOO SPREAD OUT FOR THE OLD SYSTEM OF CENTRALISED GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE TO BE THE COMPLETE ANSWER- IT MUST BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH MORE STRENGTH AT DISTRICT LEVEL.
/+THE GREEN