THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1984
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+ IN THE URBAN AREA, IT WILL PROBABLY MEAN THAT, ONCE AND FOR ALL, WE WILL SETTLE FOR SEPARATE BOARDS FOR YAU MA TEI, MONG KOK, CENTRAL AND WESTERN AND WAN CHAI: IN OTHER WORDS - AND IN SPITE OF THE AMALGAMATION SUGGESTED IN THE EARLIER GREEN PAPER - CONFIRMING THE PRESENT SITUATION, HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SPLIT THE LARGER URBAN DISTRICTS, SUCH AS KWUN TONG AND EASTERN.
BUT HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION IN THESE LARGER DISTRICTS MIGHT HAVE TO BE STRENGTHENED TO KEEP PACE WITH DEVELOPMENT.
ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, MR WIGGHAM SAID A THIRD PROPOSAL ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY WAS AIMED AT INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY THE ELECTED ELEMENT IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS.
AT PRESENT, THE AVERAGE DB HAS ABOUT EQUAL NUMBERS OF ELECTED MEMBERS, APPOINTED MEMBERS, AND EX-OFFICIO GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.
IF THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS WERE AGREED TO, THIS RATIO WAS EXPECTED TO CHANGE AT THE 1985 ELECTIONS, WITH MOST BOARDS HAVING TWICE AS MANY ELECTED MEMBERS AS APPOINTED MEMBERS, HE SAID.
+IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES WILL CONTINUE AS FULL MEMBERS OR WILL SIMPLY BE IN ATTENDANCE' AT FUTURE DB MEETINGS.
+AT THE SAME TIME - AND THIS IS THE FOURTH MAIN PROPOSAL WE SHALL BE CONSIDERING HOW BEST TO DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT ROLE FOR THE DBS.
+AS THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID IN HIS STATEMENT, VIEWS ARE NOW TO BE SOUGHT ON THESE PROPOSALS, FROM THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND FROM INTERESTED PARTIES IN PARTICULAR.
+THE PROPOSALS, IF IMPLEMENTED, WILL MARK THE LATEST STEPS IN A STEADY ADVANCE OF OUR PARTICULAR HONG KONG SYSTEM OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR WIGGHAM SAID.
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