(b) the Council is already entrusted with important responsibilities which have a vital bearing on the health and general well-being of the urban community;
(c)
(d)
(e)
the Council itself in its March 1969 Report has asked for a substantial increase in its functions, as well as changes in the Council's composition, procedures and finances;
it is desirable that the Council should have a more clearly de- fined area of responsibility within which to operate. The present system under which the Council has a statutory responsibility for particular subjects but, on occasion, debates publicly a much wider range of subjects has led to confusion in the minds of the public about the Council's statutory function and its relation to the Central Government;
the Council has shown its competence in some of its functions, particularly the provision of recreational facilities and cultural services, but has been less effective in others where the practical difficulties have been greater;
(f) under the present system the Urban Council has little or no financial responsibility, and the level of its spending is controlled entirely by the Central Government. It is the Government's view that the Council should have a substantial degree of financial autonomy which will, on the one hand, enable it to operate with greater freedom and, on the other, will encourage the Council itself to impose realistic limits on the rate at which it expands its services;
(g) the existence of the Heung Yee Kuk and Rural Committees in
the New Territories.
PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL
6. In the circumstances, it is proposed to proceed along the lines indicated in the following paragraphs.
The Council's functions
7. The Urban Council's functions will be clearly and comprehen- sively defined by legislation and will fall under the following headings:
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