FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1987
DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE ABLE TO ARRANGE SPECIAL MEETINGS, OUTSIDE NORMAL BOARD MEETINGS, WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED TO RESOLVE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS.
POLICY BRANCHES WILL DECIDE ON WAYS TO CONSULT DISTRICT BOARDS ON TERRITORY-WIDE ISSUES, WHILE DBS CAN ALWAYS CALL FOR FULL BRIEFINGS ON SUBJECTS WHERE PUBLIC CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED.
GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS SHOULD SET OUT IN CLEAR TERMS THE OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION AND THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH OPTION. APART FROM BRIEFINGS ON MAJOR PLANS AND PROGRESS, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SHOULD PROVIDE AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE AN ANNUAL PROGRAMME OF THEIR WORK IN THE DISTRICT FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE DISTRICT BOARD.
THE REVIEW ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT MORE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS BE APPOINTED TO CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARDS.
NO CHANGE WAS RECOMMENDED TO THE METHOD OF ELECTION, ROLE AND TENURE OF OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMAN, HOWEVER LEGAL PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE TO ALLOW MEMBERS TO VOTE THE CHAIRMAN OUT OF OFFICE.
A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE' AGAINST A DB CHAIRMAN MUST BE MOVED BY NO LESS THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS CONCERNED AND WILL BE CARRIED ONLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS OF THE MEMBERS. WHERE THIS VOTE HAD FAILED, A SIMILAR MOTION CANNOT BE MOVED IN THE ENSUING SIX MONTHS, AND NO SUCH MOTION CAN BE MOVED WITHIN THE SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE ELECTION OF A NEW CHAIRMAN.
THE REVIEW RECOMMENDED THAT AS THE PRESENT SYSTEM WAS WORKING WELL, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT BOARD.
LEGAL PROVISIONS WILL ALSO BE MADE TO STIPULATE THAT A DB MEMBER WHO FAILS TO ATTEND ANY DB MEETING FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE MONTHS WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD EXCEPT IN CASE OF PROLONG ILLNESS SHOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED RATHER THAN
THE ONLY EXCEPTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD AS AT PRESENT.
IS THE NEW TERRITORIES RURAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN WHOSE DISQUALIFICATION UNDER SECTION 9A(F) OF THE DISTRICT BOARD ORDINANCE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
ON THE QUESTION OF MORE FUNDS FOR DBS TO CARRY OUT MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND PROMOTE RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT, THE REVIEW RECOMMENDED THAT AN INCREASE BE MADE IN THE OVERALL PROVISION OF DB FUNDS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST.
IN ADDITION TO EXISTING TEAMS PROVIDED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES REGION, MINOR WORKS TEAMS WILL BE SET UP IN THE URBAN REGION TO CARRY OUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT WORKS FOR DBS. APPROVAL HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN FOR TWO MINOR WORKS TEAMS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN CNTA IN THE URBAN REGION IN 1987-88.
/THE DISTRICT