CONFIDENT LAL
10.
The Dickinson proposals are as follows:-
(1) structure of local simiaistration: the report has left untouched the area of jurisdiction of the present Urban Council (to be renamed Municipal Council) and has proposed only one new creation, that of a local authority for the "new town" of Tsuen Wan in the New
Territories.
(11) Franchiset it is recommended that the existing franchise should be continued for at least four years, until a much more soundly conosived and rational basis can be found.
(111) (iii) Composition:
it is recommended that the Municipal Council should have a majority of elected members (22 elected: 20 nominated) and that officials should
cease to be members. For Tsuen Wan, where under
existing franchise only a small fraction of the residents (who are mainly of the artisan class) would qualify to register as voters, it is proposed that the District Officer should be constituted the local authority assisted by an advisory council of officials and a majority of nominated unofficial member
(iv) Functions: a wider range of functions is proposed for
Municipal Council, some mandatory (e.g. existing public health functions) and some permissive (e.g. in field of education and medical services). The hope is expressed that this would be regarded as only an initial allocation of functions, additions being made as circumstances and standard of performance allow.
(v) Financial Responsibility: Councils should have their
own estimates, financial control being exercised by the central government through approval of estimates. Revenues from rates should be shared between central
government and local authorities, collection remain ing the responsibility of the former. Certain forms of licensing revenue might be paid to local authorities. Grents in aid should be payable by the central
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