TNAG-1603-FCO40-2210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-reports-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kon-1987 — Page 217

23.

bodies with a

二

The Urban and Regional Councils are financially autonomous range of statutory responsibilities for the provision of muncipal services such as public cleansing, licensing restaurants

and markets and the provision and management of recreational,

cultural and sporting facitities. The Urban Council's authority

extends

that Hong Kong Island and Kowloon;

of the Regional

Council, which was formally constituted on 1 April 1986, over the

New Territories.

Both Councils include elected and appointed

To maintain close connections between district and

members.

over

as

members of

regional levels of representative government, members of the Urban

Council sit

District Boards, whilst the New

Territories District Boards elect members to sit on the Regional

Council.

24.

to

The

The principal functions of the Legislative Council are enact Legislation and control the expenditure of public funds. Council questions the Administration on matters of public interest and debates its proposals in regard to policy. Until 1985 the

Council consisted of appointed members only. principles laid down in the 1984 Hong Kong

:

the Further Development of Represe

Representative

District

Following

the

Government White Paper on

Government in Hong Kong,

24 members of the Council have, since 1985, been chosen by a system of indirect elections. Twelve are elected by an electoral college

all members of the comprising

and Boards

the Urban and

Regional Councils; and twelve by functional constituencies representing significant sectors of the community.

The Legislative Council

25.

Legislative Council

The 1985/86 session of the

marked a

significant stage in its history. In addition to the introduction of elected members for the first time, the size of

the first time, the size of the Council was increased from 45 to 56, and the number of civil servant members was

reduced from 16 to 10. The Council

Council also moved to a new Chamb e

physically separate from the central Government offices, and

weekly, instead of

every two weeks.

In addition to dealing wit

some 72 Bills at various stages of enactment, Council members asked