XN000022-1987-03-17 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1987

CHANGES PROPOSED TO DB CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES, ELECTED SEATS

*****

CHANGES TO DISTRICT BOARD CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES AND THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS OF SOME OF THE CONSTITUENCIES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED FOLLOWING A REVIEW LAST YEAR.

THE PROPOSALS, IF ADOPTED, WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CONSTITUENCIES IN THE TERRITORY FROM 145 TO 157 AND THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS FROM 237 TO 258.

THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 12 CONSTITUENCIES AND 21 ELECTED SEATS, A SPOKESMAN FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PUT FORWARD BY AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE SET UP TO REVIEW THE SUBJECT. THE COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR C.M. LEUNG, COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY OFFICE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT: THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT AND THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES INVOLVE THE ADJUSTMENT OF BOUNDARIES IN A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS. IN SOME CASES, CHANGES WOULD RESULT IN THE SPLITTING UP, DELETION, OR RENAMING OF EXISTING CONSTITUENCIES TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE POPULATION GROWTH AND MOVEMENT.

ALL BUT FOUR DISTRICTS, NAMELY KOWLOON CITY, MONG KOK, YAU MA TEI AND SHAM SHUI PO, WOULD HAVE CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES OR THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS.

THE NUMBER OF CONSTITUENCIES IN FOUR URBAN AND FIVE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS WOULD EACH BE INCREASED BY ONE. THESE ARE EASTERN DISTRICT, KWUN TONG, WONG TAI SIN, SOUTHERN DISTRICT, TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI, YUEN LONG, TUEN MUN AND SHA TIN. NORTH DISTRICT WOULD HAVE AN ADDITION OF THREE CONSTITUENCIES.

AS REGARDS THE OVERALL INCREASE OF 21 ELECTED SEATS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE, EIGHT WOULD BE IN URBAN DISTRICTS AND 13 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS.

DISTRICTS WHICH WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL ELECTED SEATS ARE KWUN TONG (3); EASTERN (4) SOUTHERN (2) TSUEN WAN (3) KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI (1) YUEN LONG (2) TAI PO (1) TUEN MUN (2); SHA TIN (3) AND NORTH DISTRICT (1). IN WONG TAI SIN, THERE WOULD BE A DECREASE OF ONE ELECTED SEAT.

DISTRICT MAPS SHOWING THE CHANGES IN CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICT OFFICES FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO APRIL 8 FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO PUT FORWARD THEIR VIEWS TO THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICT OFFICES ON THE PROPOSED CHANGES.

THE COMMITTEE WILL FINALISE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN EARLY JULY.

12