TNAG-1042-FCO40-1292-Possible-Royal-Commission-on-Hong-Kong-and-its-future-House--1981 — Page 81

1

White Paper on District Administration in Hong Kong

On 6th June, 1980, the Hong Kong Government published a Green Paper entitled "A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong" and invited public comment. The proposals in the paper were principally directed towards:

(a)

(b)

better co-ordination of and responsiveness by the administration at district level, and

greater participation by the inhabitants of each district.

The object is to improve the impact of local district administration in Hong Kong.

2.

The main proposals may be summarised as follows:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(a)

(e)

(E)

Each district to have a Management Committee of officials to co-ordinate and monitor the work of Government Departments;

Representatives of each district to be appointed to join key members of the Management Committee to form a District Board to advice on local administration;

Each Board to have an elected element (seats to be provided on each Board for Urban Council members elected for the district's constituencies and for appointed Urban Councillors);

Franchise to be extended to include all Hong Kong residents over 21 and of three years' standing;

Each candidate for election to stand for a single geographical constituency within a district but need not be a resident in it;

Urban Council to be expanded to carry 15 elected and 15 appointed members.

well received

3. These proposals have been generally . by the public with, the exception of elected Urban Councillors.

Community reaction has been strongly in favour of the prin-

the active ciple of greater emphasis on local administration, association of the public with it and the provision of officials of sufficient seniority and authority to respond effectively to local needs and aspirations. Criticism has tended to focus on issues to do with the proposed elected element on District Boards.

4. /...