TNAG-0279-FCO40-315-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 42

CONFIDENTIAL

BACKGROUND

Urban Council

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 responsibilities

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 at through the Urban Services Department (a Government

Department) the Director of which is Chairman of the Council.

Over the years it has pressed for a measure of financial indepen-

dence and for wider functions and powers.

20 In addition to the Chairman, the Council consists of five

ex officic 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.

3. In 1965 the franchise for Urban Council elections was

extended to an estimated 240,000.

persons registered as electors.

In the event, less than 30,000

The number of voters in the

1969 elections was 8,178 or 23.8% of registered electors.

/ New Territories

CONFIDENTIAL