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CONFIDENTIAL
(b) Urban Council
19.
The Urban Council, which has had
soon
its
wa s
elected members since
after its inception in the 1880s as the Sanitary Board, had
elected membership increased to 12 members in 1973 when it reconstituted as a statutory body with financial autonomy.
became the on ly government body which both exercised executive
powers and included elected members. In 1983 the franchise was
It
widened and rearranged on a constituency basis, and the Urban
Council's membership was increased from 24 to 30. 15 of its members
are elected, and 15 are appointed by the Governor.
(c) Regional Council
20. A new Regional Council to cover the non-urban areas and to perform functions similar to those of the Urban Council, was
proposed at the same time as the reforms for the District Boards. The Hong Kong Government's aim was to obtain greater public participation in the provision of services in the New Territories, particularly in view of the large increase in population in the new towns, both actual and expected and also to correct the anomaly of a partly elected Urban Council providing a wide range of services to the public in the urban areas, while similar services were provided to the public in the New Territories by a department under the
direction of the Hong Kong Government.
21.
12 members
The Regional Council to be constituted on 1 April 1986 will
have 36 members.
will be directly elected by
The constituencies; a further 12 will be appointed by the Governor. Chairman and two Vice-chairmen of the Heung Yee Kuk will be members ex officio, and the nine District Boards in the New Territories will each elect from among their own members one further councillor. April 1985
1985 a provisional Regional Council of appointed members and
wa s representatives
to established
allow working
gained before the Regional Council come s
District Board
experience
to
be
being.
In
into
1
7.
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