THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1987
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MERGER OF COUNCILS NOT CONSIDERED
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT IT WAS NOT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT THINKING THAT THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND URBAN COUNCIL SHOULD BE MERGED.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A REGIONAL COUNCIL MEETING, MR FORD SAID THE TWO COUNCILS WERE SET UP WITH A VIEW TO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE TWO AREAS CONCERNED.
+1 THINK IT'S BEEN PROVED IN THE OPERATION OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL THAT THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB EXTREMELY WELL, HE SAID.
+AND I WOULD SEE VERY LITTLE NEED TO CHANGE THAT SITUATION,→ MR FORD ADDED.
ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS THE NEED IN FUTURE FOR ONE COUNCIL TO TAKE REFERENCE FROM THE OTHER COUNCIL IN DECIDING ITS POLICY MR FORD SAID, WELL, I THINK OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE VARIOUS NEED OVER THE TERRITORY AS A WHOLE TO HAVE CONTINUITY AND A DEGREE OF CONTINUITY AND DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE COUNCILS.+
HE NOTED THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, MR CHEUNG YAN-LUNG, MET REGULARLY WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL TO LIAISE AND TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST.
THAT MAKES
+1 THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY OF DOING THINGS. SURE THAT SERVICES AND SO ON ARE KEPT MORE OR LESS IN LINE THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, MR FORD SAID.
+BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY NEED TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DISTRICT NEEDS THAT THESE COUNCILS LOOK AFTER. I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR. HE ADDED
REFERRING TO SUGGESTIONS THAT THE TWO COUNCILS SHOULD BE SCRAPPED, MR FORD SAID HE WOULD PERSONALLY BE QUITE SURPRISED IF THERE WAS A STRONG REACTION TO THAT EFFECT.
+T HERE CERTAINLY DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY INDICATION SO FAR THAT THERE IS A PUBLIC FEELING IN THAT DIRECTION,+ HE SAID.
ASKED ABOUT THE LATEST SITUATION REGARDING PROPOSALS FOR A NEW AIRPORT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID ONE OF THE TWO THINGS BEING CONSIDERED WAS THE LIFE OF KAI TAK AND HOW LONG IT WOULD BE ABLE TO COPE WITH AIR TRAFFIC AND WHETHER THERE COULD BE IMPROVEMENTS AND EXTENSIONS TO IT WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO MAKE GOOD ECONOMIC USE OF IT FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
*THAT STUDY IS CONTINUING. MEANWHILE, WE HAVE THE INTERESTING PROPOSAL FROM MR GORDON WU'S CONSORTIUM. WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT IN SOME DETAIL.+
MR FORD SAID HE WAS DUE TO MEET, WITH HIS COMMITTEE, WITH MR WU TOMORROW (FRIDAY) TO DISCUSS FURTHER DETAILS OF THAT PROPOSAL.
+SO THESE TWO STUDIES ARE GOING ALONG IN PARALLEL AND
I HOPE THAT WILL ENABLE US TO REACH A LONG-TERM DECISION ABOUT WHETHER WE NEED A NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG, AND IF SO, WHEN A DECISION SHOULD BE MADE ABOUT IT.+
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