TNAG-0733-FCO40-937-Inquiries-on-democracy-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 23

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BACKGROUND NOTE

THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG

1. The Governor of Hong Kong is advised by an Executive Council (Exco) of 14 members, 6 of whom are Government officials, and the remainder are so-called unofficial members from outside the Government. Legislation is approved by the Legislative Council (Legco) comprising the Governor, 20 official members and 24 unofficial members.

2.

Unofficial members of both Councils are all appointed by the Governor and there is, from time to time, criticism that they are not truly representative of the community. Certainly in the past there has tended to be a preponderance of rich businessmen among them. However, for some time now the Governor has been appointing new members from a progressively wider social back- ground and the membership of Legco and Exco is now more representative than it was 10 years ago; the process is continuing.

3. The Urban Council (Urbco), is responsible for matters of public health and recreational facilities in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Half of its 24 members are elected and half are appointed by the Governor. It has no official members. Until 1973, it had much broader functions, including responsibility for housing within the urban area, but it lost these responsibilities when the Government decided that such functions were better handled by centralised government agencies, whose responsibilities extend throughout the whole territory.

4. Although this reduction in functions was, and continues to be, a source of complaint by many members of the Council, the success achieved by the Government through its centralised agencies, particularly its housing programme, is strong evidence that the change was justified. In any case, the Urban Council has by no means lost all say in such matters: there are, for example, eight Urban Councillors among the twenty members of the Government

Housing Autipity

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