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functions and a greater degree of supervision and control by central government. Under their proposals a Kunicipal Council would be set up for the urban area of Hong Kong and one, or possibly two, others for Kowloon and New Kowloon, An Urban District Council was suggested for Tsuen Wan but apart from this the working party saw no good reason for changes in the New Territories' administration which was generally regarded as satisfactory by the inhabitants. A11 the new Councils would have a majority of members elected on a liberal franchise but a system of appointed members would be retaine to guard against the possible failure of the elective principle. The report was not unanimous, one member being in favour of a single authority for Hong Kong and Kowloon and three members suggesting an interim stage of Regional Consultative Councils to educate the public in democratic procedures.
It
Renort of 18. At the same time, an ad hoc committee of unofficial members Ad loc
of the Urban Council produced its own report for the future scope Committee of Urban and operation of the Council. This report was accepted by the Council
Urben Council in October 1966 (official members abstaining). proposed that there should be a "greater Hong Kong Council” or "Lunicipal assembly" covering the whole of the Colony which should have administrative responsibility for "strictly internal matters" other than security. This Council would be supported by subordinate District Councils established initially for long Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. The report was in essence anothor
bid by the Urban Council unofficials to extend the Council'a authority and it bore many signs of over-hasty preparation. comment on its publication was critical particularly in regard to the cost and the complications of the proposals,
Dickin
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Report
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19. The two reports were the subject of official examination and of public comment in Hong Kong, but developments were delayed by the Communist confrontation in the Colony during the last eight months of 1967 and it seemed clear that once the situation had
returned to normal a fresh look at them would be necessary in the
light of the change in circumstances.
20. Early in 1968 a Secretariat Officer (W. V. Dickinson) was directed, working independently, to work out a possible alternativa to large-scale changes, based on improving the existing institutions This officer completed his report in March 1968; in the summer of
/that year
.
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