TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 112

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IN URBAN AREA, WHEREBY DISTRICT OFFICERS ESTABLISHED A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES WITHIN THEIR DISTRICTS TO ADVISE ON PARTICULAR

SUBJECTS. OBJECT WAS TO PROVIDE LINK BETWEEN POPULATION OF EACH

URBAN DISTRICT AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. BUT BY EARLY 1970S

PRESSURES OF INCREASE IN POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN

AREAS AND OF NEW TOWNS IN NEW TERRITORIES CREATED NEED FOR

EXISTING INSTITUTIONS TO ADAPT FURTHER.

3.

IN 1973 URBAN COUNCIL (URBCO) RECONSTITUTED WITH

FINANCIAL AUTONOMY FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. OFFICIAL MEMBERS WITHDRAWN. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP INCREASED TO 24, HALF ELECTED

AND HALF APPOINTED. RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVISION OF WIDE RANGE OF

SERVICES TO PUBLIC IN URBAN AREA OF HONG KONG ISLAND AND

KOWLOON.

4.

DURING 1970S NETWORK OF CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES, WHICH GREW FROM EARLIER CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS' COMMITTEES, ESTABLISHED AS FURTHER LINKS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AT CENTRAL AND

DISTRICT LEVEL. IN URBAN AREAS CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS FORMED

CITY DISTRICT COMMITTEES. THESE COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES OF

LOCAL AREA COMMITTEES WHO IN TURN COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES OF

MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES (BASED ON INDIVIDUAL BUIDINGS). THEIR TASK WAS TO ADVISE ON LOCAL AFFAIRS AND PROVISION OF LOCAL SERVICES. MEANWHILE, IN VIEW OF GROWTH OF NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS ESTABLISHED FROM 1977 IN ORDER TO

REPRESENT VIEWS BOTH OF NEW AND OF ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES COMPRISED LOCAL OFFICIALS, RURAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND APPOINTED

UNOFFICIALS.

5.

BASED UPON THESE DEVELOPMENTS IN JUNE 1980 THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED A GREEN PAPER ENTITLED A PATTERN OF

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG'. THE PROPOSALS IN THE PAPER, PUBLISHED FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION, WERE AIMED AT BETTER GOVERNMENT COORDINATION OF SERVICES AND RESPONSE TO PROBLEMS AT DISTRICT LEVEL, AND AT A GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCESS BY RESIDENTS OF EACH DISTRICT. THE GREEN PAPER ALSO NOTED THAT 'THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, THE CENTRAL ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT, HAVE EVOLVED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE, WITHIN THE IMPERATIVES OF STABILITY AND

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