XN000022-1979-04-10 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1979

MORE FUNDS FOR NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED THE FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE SEVEN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TO $4.5 MILLION FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

THE 20 PER CENT INCREASE ON LAST YEAR'S FIGURE OF $3.7 MILLION REFLECTS THE GOVERNMENT'S CONFIDENCE IN THE WORK OF THE BOARDS WHICH LAST YEAR ORGANISED LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES.

HE SAID THIS YEAR'S FUNDS HAD BEEN DIVIDED AMONG THE SEVEN DISTRICTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IR PLANS FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

TSUEN WAN, WHICH HAS THE BIGGEST SHARE, RECEIVES $1.75 MILLION, FOLLOWED BY YUEN LONG WITH $750,000, TAI PO WITH $550,000, TUEN MUN AND ISLANDS WITH $400,000 EACH, SAI KUNG WITH $350,000 AND SHA TIN WITH $300,000.

+THE FUNDS PROVIDED TO THE BOARDS HAVE GIVEN A TREMENDOUS BOOST TO THE NUMBER AND SCOPE OF DISTRICT ACTIVITIES, MOST OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ORGANISED THROUGH LOCAL BODIES WHICH HAS WIDENED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND HELPED TO LINK TO BOARDS WITH LOCAL GROUPS,+ MR. AKERS-JONES SAID.

+THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE ATTRACTED LARGE CROWDS AND INNOVATIONS SUCH AS THE TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL AND THE TUEN MUN AND SAI KUNG FESTIVALS HAVE BEEN WELL RECEIVED.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, THE GOVERNOR MEMBERS AND SIX NEW MEMBERS TO THE EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, 1979.

BOARDS HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE HAD RE-APPOINTED 90 UNOFFICIAL BOARDS FOR A FURTHER YEAR WITH

THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE BOARDS, HE SAID, HAD ENABLED THE PEOPLE OF EACH DISTRICT TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND BETTERMENT OF THEIR OWN DISTRICT.

+THEY ARE INFORMED OF DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMMES AND SUGGESTIONS AND ADVICE ARE IN TURN GIVEN FULL CONSIDERATION BY DEPARTMENTS,+ MR. AKERS-JONES SAID.

+DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE BOARDS, IN THEIR ADVISORY ROLE, HAD SHOWN INTEREST IN AND GIVEN ADVICE ON A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT PROGRAMMES AND THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES IN DISTRICTS HAS BEEN THE IR MAIN CONCERN.

+THE BOARDS HAVE MADE A GOOD START AND IT IS HOPED THAT MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS WILL CONTINUE THE IR GOOD WORK THIS YEAR WITH GREATER EMPHASIS ON DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENT SO AS TO DEVELOP THEMSELVES INTO A REAL FOCUS OF REPRESENTATION AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY, HE ADDED.

THE DISTRICT