XN000022-1983-10-05 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1983

+1 WELCOME THIS WIDER REPRESENTATION, AND THE IMPROVED LINKS WITH THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE URBAN COUNCIL WHICH IT PROVIDES.

+WITH SUCH A DIVERSE CHAMBER, I HOPE THERE WILL BE EVEN GREATER SCOPE FOR THE SORT OF LIVELY DEBATE WHICH WAS RECENTLY HEARD IN THIS COUNCIL ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION. FOR IT IS IN DEBATE THAT THE WORK OF THIS COUNCIL FINDS PUBLIC EXPRESSION.

+ IT BRINGS PROOF TO THE SCEPTICS THAT THE UNOFFICIALS WHO REPRESENT THE PUBLIC DO UNDERSTAND AND CARE ABOUT THE ISSUES UF OUR SOCIETY,+ SIR EDWARD SAID.

HE ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE URBAN COUNCIL FOR ITS +VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION+ TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY, TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY, AND TO RECREATION AND MANY ASPECTS OF CULTURAL LIFE.

THE URBAN COUNCIL, SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT, HAD ESTABLISHED CLOSE LINKS WITH DISTRICT BOARDS AND THUS IMPROVED ITS UNDERSTANDING OF PROBLEMS AT DISTRICT LEVEL..

ON THE URBAN DISTRICT BOARDS, HE SAID: +AT THE END OF A YEAR'S WORK, I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE MORE THAN PROVED THEIR WORTH.

+THEY HAVE ALREADY MADE AN IMPACT ON LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS- THEY ARE PRODUCING BALANCED AND CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE ON MATTERS AFFECTING LIFE IN THE DISTRICTS, AND THEY HAVE PROMOTED LOCAL PARTICIPATION IN RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL EVENTS.+

SIR EDWARD SAID THAT TOGETHER, THE 489 MEMBERS OF THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS CONSTITUTED THE LARGEST ADVISORY BODY OF OPINION IN HONG KONG.

NOTING THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WAS RELATIVELY NEW, SIR EDWARD SAID, I HAVE THEREFORE ASKED THAT THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, AND THE · ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE DECISIONS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE ADVICE OF DISTRICT BOARDS, SHOULD BE EXAMINED TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE IMPROVED.+

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED IN RESTRAINING THE GROWTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

DEPARTMENTS WERE MEETING DEMANDS FOR NEW OR EXPANDED SERVICES LARGELY FROM EXISTING RESOURCES BY REDEPLOYING STAFF AND BY INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY, HE POINTED OUT, ADDING THAT THIS POLICY WOULD CONTINUE.

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