THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1984
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SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS LAST YEAR, HE HAD SAID THAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE EXAMINED TO ENSURE THAT THEY REMAINED SUITED TO HONG KONG'S CHANGING NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
HE SAID THAT AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, IT WAS DECIDED THAT!
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THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE BOARDS SHOULD BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS, SEPARATE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE CREATED FOR TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG-TSING Y!,
THE URBAN MANAGEMENT ROLE OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE EXPANDED, AND
A NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO COVER THOSE AREAS OUTSIDE THE AEGIS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.
SIR EDWARD NOTED THAT WHILE THE PROPOSED REGIONAL COUNCIL HAD AROUSED SOME CONTROVERSY, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE AREAS CONCERNED PREFERRED TO HAVE THE IR OWN COUNCIL AND TO PARTICIPATE DIRECTLY IN THE RUNNING OF THE SERVICES AND FACILITIES THAT, IN THE URBAN AREAS, ARE OPERATED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL.
+YOUR GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THIS VIEW, AND NEXT YEAR A PROVISIONAL COUNCIL WILL BE APPOINTED TO PREPARE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ELECTED COUNCIL IN 1986, + HE SAID.
NEXT YEAR'S DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WOULD OPEN A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID.
+GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WILL CEASE TO BE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD BUT WILL CONTINUE TO ATTEND MEETINGS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND RECEIVE ADVICE; THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS WILL BE INCREASED FROM 132 TO 236 AND WILL CONSTITUTE THE MAJORITY ON THE BOARDS THE CHAIRMAN OF EACH BOARD WILL BE AN ELECTED UNOFFICIAL; THE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT BOARDS WILL ELECT THE IR REPRESENTATIVES TO JOIN THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TO BE ESTABLISHED IN EARLY 1985, + HE SAID.
ALSO, IF THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WERE SUPPORTED, MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS TOGETHER WITH THOSE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD IN DUE COURSE ELECT MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR EDWARD ADDED.
+THERE ARE NOW OVER 1,4 MILLION VOTERS ON THE ELECTORAL ROLL THEY WILL HAVE AN INCREASING AND MORE DIRECT VOICE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TERRITORY AT THE DISTRICT, REGIONAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, HE SAID.
ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, SIR EDWARD SAID THE EFFORT HAD BEEN SUSTAINED IN RESTRAINING GROWTH AND IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO STABILISE THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN 1985-86.
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