Britain shows
S.C.M.P. 11
HK group how
to
HKK3/548/11
run cities
The 11-day visit by four local Urban Councillors to the United Kingdom only created better understanding of how British cities are run. It did not gain Hongkong any promises on major issues.
One of the visitors, Dr Denny Huang, said yesterday they had exchanged ideas with the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Anthony Royle, adding that no conclusions were reached.
"We talked about direct public representation at the Legislative Council. We raised the question of Hongkong's reserves, and we talked of expanding the scope of the Urban Council," Dr Huang said.
"In fact, we touched on many other topics including whether the death penalty should be revived in Hongkong, corruption and the dramatic dip in the stock market this year," he added. “But Mr Royle did not promise anything.”
Dr Huang said the trip, which ended two days ago, was valuable only in the sense that the Councillors were shown how much more effective and efficient their British counterparts were in running their cities.
For example, the British allow an annual £900 million to administer their cities. We only get $200 million, $180 million of which is spent on wages,” he said.
He said generally, the Members of Parliament he met were sympathetic towards the issue of direct representation at the Legislative Council. Labour MP, Mr James Johnson, said Hongkong should elect Councillors to the Legislative Council, Dr Huang said.
Dr Huang flew back yesterday with Mr Kenneth Lo, Another Urban Councillor. Two of his colleagues, Mr Peter Ng and Mr Henry Hu, have not
DR HUANG
returned yet because of personal visits to Manchester and the United States.
Dr Huang said he felt strongly on the conditions of the 50,000 New Territories emigrants working in London's China Town.
"They have nothing to do during their off work hours. They therefore gamble a lot in casinos operated by com patriots.
"I think we should have social welfare services for them. Otherwise they won't have a cent to send back to their relatives in the New Territories," he said.
He said the Hongkong Government Office in London "did nothing" for the welfare of Hongkong expatriates.
"The office should run some decent form of entertainment for the expatriates. Most New Territories people are uneducated and therefore don't understand English language films," he said.
Among the places visited by the Councillors were County Hall, the headquarters of the Greater London Council, the Royal Festival Hall and the National Film Theatre.
Before leaving for Hongkong the Councillors visited the Houses of Parliament, which are sitting again after the
summer recess.
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