WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1984
PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
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PROPOSALS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IF IMPLEMENTED THEY WILL REPRESENT A FURTHER STEP IN THE PROCESS WHICH BEGAN IN JUNE 1980 WHEN THE GREEN PAPER ON A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG WAS PUBLISHED.
THE GREEN PAPER WAS FOLLOWED BY A WHITE PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG IN JANUARY 1981, WHICH DESCRIBED THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS AS REGARDS THE NEW PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO BE INTRODUCED. THESE WERE, BRIEFLY:
(A) TO ESTABLISH DISTRICT BOARDS, WITH AN ELECTED ELEMENT,
IN EACH OF THE EIGHTEEN DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES;
(B)
TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL TO 15, EACH REPRESENTING A SEPARATE CONSTITUENCY: AND
(C) TO CREATE A NEW ELECTORAL FRANCHISE FOR ALL PERSONS AGED
21 YEARS AND ABOVE WITH 7 YEARS' ORDINARY RESIDENCE IN HONG KONG, WHICH WOULD APPLY TO BOTH THE DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS FOR THE NEW DISTRICT BOARDS WERE HELD DURING 1982 AND ELECTIONS FOR THE NEW URBAN COUNCIL CONSTITUENCIES WERE HELD IN MARCH 1983.
IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 5, 1983, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID, OUR PRESENT SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION IS RELATIVELY NEW. IN PARTICULAR, THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME, AN INNOVATIVE EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSULTATION AND CONSENT WHICH HAS EVOLVED IN HONG KONG, NOW ENABLES PEOPLE TO EXERT A DIRECT INFLUENCE ON THE MANAGEMENT OF DISTRICT AFFAIRS+.
AFTER STRESSING THAT THE SCHEME REMAINS SUITED TO HONG KONG'S CHANGING NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, THE GOVERNOR THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, AND THE ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE DECISIONS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE ADVICE OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, WERE TO BE EXAMINED TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE IMPROVED.
THE PROPOSALS TO INCREASE THE ELECTED ELEMENT IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND TO CREATE A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES WHICH WERE ANNOUNCED TODAY STEM FROM THIS REVIEW OF THE SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION CALLED FOR BY THE GOVERNOR.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE AIM OF THE PROPOSALS WAS TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF ENCOURAGING GREATER PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG.
/POLICHTING le