XN000022-1986-11-05 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986

29

THREE-TIER GOVT STRUCTURE SHOULD BE REVIEWED

*****

IT IS OPTIMISTIC AND PREMATURE TO CONCLUDE THAT THE PRESENT THREE-TIER STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT IS SERVING HONG KONG WELL, THE HON ANDREW WONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS, HE SAID THE QUESTION OF REFORMING THE THREE-TIER STRUCTURE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE 1987 REVIEW.

MR WONG SAID HIS WORRIES CONCERNED THE MIDDLE TIER URBAN COUNCIL AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL LEVEL.

-

THE

HE SAID THE REGIONAL COUNCIL MIGHT SUFFER FROM THE SAME FAILURES AS ITS COUNTERPART IN THE URBAN AREA DID.

+ THE SITUATION IS EXACERBATED BY THE VERY EXISTENCE OF TWO COUNCILS GOVERNING TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE YET CONTIGUOUS AREAS EACH HAVING THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS ON MATTERS SOME OF WHICH OUGHT TO BE APPLIED UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TERRITORY, HE SAID.

HE RECALLED THAT WHEN THE DECISION TO SET UP THE REGIONAL COUNCIL WAS ANNOUNCED IN 1984 HE LIKENED THE PROPOSED THREE-TIER STRUCTURE TO A MONSTER,

HE BELIEVED A BETTER SOLUTION COULD BE FOUND IN THE 1966 DICKINSON REPORT ON LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WHICH ADVOCATED A SYSTEM OF SEPARATE LOCAL AUTHORITIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITH NOTHING BETWEEN THIS AND THE CENTRAL LEVEL.

HE THEN LISTED THREE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THIS PROPOSED SYSTEM.

FOR THOSE FUNCTIONS WHICH WERE NOW ENTRUSTED TO THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS BUT WHICH REQUIRED UNIFORM STANDARDS AND APPLICATION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TERRITORY, MR WONG BELIEVED THEY OUGHT TO BE ENTRUSTED TO A FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITY OR A NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITIES AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, RATHER LIKE THE PRESENT HOUSING AUTHORITY.

THE EXISTING URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS COULD BE AMALGAMATED TO FORM THIS OVERALL FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITY OR AMALGAMATED AND EXPANDED TO FORM A NUMBER OF AUTHORITIES SUCH AS CULTURE, SANITATION, AND AMENITIES, HE SUGGESTED.

+SECOND, FOR THOSE FUNCTIONS OF THE TWO COUNCILS WHICH CAN BE DEVOLVED AND WHICH SHOULD BE DEVOLVED TO ENHANCE EFFECTIVENESS, THEY SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED TO THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS WHICH WILL BECOME LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHICH ARE BODIES CORPORATE AND IN CHARGE OF MAKING DECISIONS, AS FAR AS SUCH FUNCTIONS ARE CONCERNED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS,+ HE SAID.

/IF IT WAS