0003230
G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL
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piece of legislation, adding those referred to in the next paragraph. As at present, some of these functions will be made mandatory, while some will merely be permissive, to be exercised to the extent that the Council decides.
New Licensing Duties
8
As requested by the Urban Council in its 1969 Report, the Council will be made the authority for certain additional licensing functions which are environmental in character, i.e. liquor licensing (though the Police will retain authority to approve temporary extensions of licensing hours) cinemas, bowling alleys, skating rinks, billiard saloons, barber shops and table tennis saloons. It is considered that the Police should retain authority for the licensing of dance halls, mahjong shops, money lenders and pawn brokers since these require to be carefully supervised to prevent them from becoming subject to the control of criminal elements.
Title
9
In the absence of any obviously appropriate alternative and in the interest of continuity, it is proposed that the title "Urban Council" should be retained.
Finance
10
A significant advance will be made in the field of choring finance by giving the Council its own rate and by requiring it to raise capital funds in the market. (This is discussed in more detail in paragraphs 22 - 26 below). The Council will have to be incorporated for this purpose.
Chairman of the Council
11
The Council will be free to select its own Chairman who might be either an unofficial or a co-opted official or even an eminent private citizen from outside the Council.
Use of Cantonese
12
Legislation and the Council's Standing Orders will be so phrased as to allow proceedings to be conducted in Cantonese as well as English. Further advances in bilingualism should be along the lines suggested in the First Report of the Chinese Language Committee which has been accepted in principle by Government.
Official Membership
13
All official members will be removed from the Council. The present officials are the Chairman, appointed by the Governor, who is traditionally the Director of Urban Services, the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services (the statutory Vice-Chairman), the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Director of Public Works, the Director of Social Welfare and the Commissioner for Resettlement. This change will emphasize the separation of the Council from the Central Government and will make the remaining constituent members not only wholly responsible and accountable for the Council's
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CONFIDENTIAL
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