TNAG-0201-FCO40-237-Local-government-reforms-1969 — Page 107

New

Terri- tories

Official Working Party

for the removal and resettlement of squatters within the urban areas. It is empowered to make byelaws for the regulation and control of these matters, subject to the approval of the Legislative Council.

It has, however, no rating powers and its responsibilities are carried through the Urban Services Department (a Government Department) the Director of which is Chairman of the Council.

13. In addition to the Chairman, the Council consists of five

ex officio and twenty unofficial members, of whom ten are elected

and ten are appointed by the Governor. The term of office of the

unofficial members is four years. Urban Council elections, at

which half of the elected seats are contested are held bi-annually.

In spite of considerable coverage in the press and radio, public

interest is low.

14.

In 1965 the decision was taken to extend the franchise for

Urban Council elections to an estimated 240,000; in the event, only some 26,000 persons have registered as electors which is some

3,000 less than on the old register. The number of voters in the June 1967 elections was 10,189 or 38.8% of registered electors.

15.

The New Territories are administered by District Officers under

the District Commissioner, with the assistance of rural committees

elected by and from village representatives. There is also a

consultative council for the whole of the New Territories

(Heung Yee Kuk); its functions are entirely advisory.

Recent Developments

Report 16. In view of the spread of urban development into the New of

Territories and of pressure from the elected members of Urban Council

to extend their authority into those areas, the Governor announced

early in 1966 that he had decided to institute a re-examination of

local government generally. As a first step an official working party was set up to gather information on the possible forms of local government suitable to Hong Kong and to suggest lines of development for further study and debate.

Flag A 17. The Working Party's report was published early in 1967. It HWB 18/7 recommended the creation of a number of urban authorities on the

lines of English practice though with somewhat reduced powers and

functions