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→EDNESDAY, FEBRUARY
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT BY THE CHIEF
SECRETARY:
+SIR, THE GREEN PAPER ON A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE 1980, DESCRIBED THE REASONS WHY IT WAS CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE CERTAIN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN EXISTENCE AT THAT TIME. IN PARTICULAR, THE GREEN PAPER DREW ATTENTION TO THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF ADMINISTRATION THAT HAD DEVELOPED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG, TO THE INCREASED PROSPERITY AND TO THE GREATLY IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BY THEN ENJOYED AND, BY WAY OF A RESPONSE TO HIGHER ASPIRATIONS, TO THE NEED TO BUILD COHESIVE COMMUNITIES. SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO PRODUCE A MORE LOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WERE THEN PUBLISHED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG IN JANUARY 1981. THESE LED TO THE FORMATION IN 1982 OF DISTRICT BOARDS, WITH AN ELECTED ELEMENT, IN EACH DISTRICT OF HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
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+DURING THEIR SHORT EXISTENCE THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR VALUE FOR, AND QUOTE FROM THE WHITE PAPER, 'CONTACT, DISCUSSION, STIMULUS AND ADVICE BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES IN EACH DISTRICT AND THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT'.
+ IN YOUR ADDRESS AT THE OPENING OF THE PRESENT SESSION OF THIS COUNCIL YOU SAID, SIR, THAT WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME" "REMAINS SUITED TO HONG KONG'S CHANGING NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES' AND ADDED THAT YOU HAD CALLED FOR AN EXAMINATION OF 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'.
+DURING THE COURSE OF THIS REVIEW THE DISTRICT BOARDS THEMSELVES, AT A SERIES OF MEETINGS, HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR OWN VIEWS AND IDEAS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION.
+AS A RESULT OF THE REVIEW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOW COME TO CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS. THE NEXT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS ARE DUE TO BE HELD IN MARCH 1985 AND THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRST CONCLUSION IS THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE BOARDS SHOULD THEN BE STRENGTHENED BY INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE ELECTED ELEMENT. IN DISTRICTS WHERE THE POPULATION LEVEL IS ALREADY RELATIVELY STABLE, IT IS PROPOSED THAT, AS FROM 1985, THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS SHOULD BE DOUBLE THAT OF APPOINTED MEMBERS. BUT IN DISTRICTS WHERE THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION IS STILL ON THE INCREASE (FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEW TOWN OF SHATIN) THIS RATIO OF ELECTED MEMBERS TO APPOINTED MEMBERS MIGHT BE BEST ACHIEVED PROGRESSIVELY OVER THE YEARS AS THE POPULATION INCREASES. ALSO, IN SOME DISTRICTS, TO HAVE THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS MIGHT RESULT IN A BOARD WHICH WAS TOO LARGE AND UNWIELDY, IN WHICH CASE THE SIZE OF THE BOARD COULD BE SCALED DOWN, WHILST RETAINING THE SAME 21 RATIO OF ELECTED TO APPOINTED MEMBERS.
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