TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 214

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fourth, that a new Regional Council should be

set up to cover those areas not under the aegis

of the Urban Council, that the opportunity should

possibly be taken to re-align the regional boun-

daries, and that the provision of some of the

services presently provided by the Recreation

and Culture Department should be brought within

the purview of the two Councils.

2.

Generally speaking, these proposals have been welcomed

by the Hong Kong community. There has been much discussion

and many points of detail have been made. The only area of

controversy has been the proposal to establish a second

regional council. I shall, therefore, deal with the fourth

proposal first.

3.

There has been no quarrel with the proposition that

services which are provided in the New Territories should come

under the supervision of a council. The proposal in the

Chief Secretary's statement was that there should be a second

council, parallel to the Urban Council. The Urban Council

advanced a perfectly tenable alternative proposal that a

single council should take over supervision of these services

throughout the whole of Hong Kong.