་་
CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND NOTES NO.
Local Government
I'vepared for
M' Marton's visit
to Hong Kong in Februar 1969. 기
The Urban Council has statutory responsibility for operating the basic sanitary services in the urban areas of
Hong Kong/Kowloon and also a variety of other duties in the field of public health, such as the supervision of food premises, hawkers, operation of slaughter houses and pest control; it also has respon- sibilities for the removal and resettlement of squatters within the urban areas. It is empowered to make by-laws for 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 out through the Urban Services Department (a Government department) the Director of which is
Chairman of the Council.
2. 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 the elected seats are contested, are held biannually. In spite of considerable coverage in the Press and radio, public
interest is low.
3. In 1965 the decision was taken to extend the franchise for its elections to an estimated 240,000; in the event, however, only some 26,000 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.
The new Territories are administered by district officers under a 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.
- 1 -
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.