XN000022-1984-04-25 — Page 11

EDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1984

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IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, HE SAID, TO CREATE A REGIONAL COUNCIL COMPOSED OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY DISTRICT CONSTITUENCIES AND REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED BY DISTRICT BOARDS FROM AMONGST THE IR OWN NUMBER. THEY, TOGETHER WITH THE APPOINTED MEMBERS AND SOME SEATS RESERVED FOR THE HEUNG YEE KUK, COULD PROVIDE A WELL BALANCED REPRESENTATIVE BODY.

+CERTAINLY, THERE IS CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT FOR A LINK BETWEEN THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE PROPOSED REGIONAL COUNCIL WITH THE FORMER EACH SENDING A MEMBER TO SERVE ON THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.+

THIS WOULD CONTRAST WITH THE SYSTEM IN THE URBAN AREA WHEREBY URBAN COUNCILLORS HAVE SEATS RESERVED FOR THEM ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS, BUT DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS DO NOT SIT ON THE URBAN COUNCIL.

RESPONDING TO COMMENTS ON THE UNNECESSARY COST OF HAVING A SECOND COUNCIL, MR AKERS-JONES SAID A REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD NATURALLY HAVE ITS COST AS WOULD AN ENLARGED CENTRAL COUNCIL. + IT IS A QUESTION OF WEIGHING THIS ADDITIONAL COST AGAINST THE VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS I HAVE MENTIONED.+

HE SAID THAT ONE COUNCIL LARGE ENOUGH TO COVER THE WORK INVOLVED AND TO BE SUFFICIENTLY REPRESENTATIVE OF SUCH A DISPERSED AREA WOULD HAVE TO BE 60 OR 70 STRONG.

+TO FORM ONE COUNCIL WOULD IN ANY CASE REQUIRE THE DISSOLUTION OF THE EXISTING URBAN COUNCIL AND ACCEPTING, MOREOVER, THE DISRUPTION THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE. IT WOULD MEAN CALLING FOR FRESH ELECTIONS AND WORKING OUT A HOST OF FRESH ADMINISTRATIVE

ARRANGEMENTS.

+THERE SEEMS NO DOUBT THAT THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN SUCH A LARGE BODY WOULD BE COMPLEX, AND THAT IT MIGHT ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING ITS GRIP ON THE DETAILED PROBLEMS IN EACH CORNER OF THE WORK OF HONG KONG AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.+

MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAD PROVED NOT ONLY VALUABLE AT DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT ALSO AN IMPORTANT LINK IN THE BROAD CONSULTATIVE MACHINERY THAT THE GOVERNMENT DEPENDED UPON IN PURSUING ITS AIM OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS,

IT WAS NOT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANCE, HE SAID, THAT THE BOARDS EITHER HAD DISCUSSED OR WOULD BE DISCUSSING POLICIES WITH REGARD TO EDUCATION, HOUSING AND BROADCASTING.

+AND ALL DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT, IF THEY WISH TO DO SO, THEY MAY DISCUSS AND GIVE THEIR ADVICE ON THE SUBJECT WHICH IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO US ALL THE FUTURE.+

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