TNAG-1603-FCO40-2210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-reports-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kon-1987 — Page 248

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cultural and

The Urban and Regional Councils are financially autonomous

bodies with a 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

facilities

The Urban Council's authority

extends over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon; that 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

sporting

members

regional levels of representative

government, members

of the Urban

whilst the New

Council sit as members of District Boards

Territories District Boards elect members to sit On the Regional

Council

24.

The principal

enact legislation and

Until 1985 the

Following the

functions of

the Legislative Council are to

control the expenditure of public funds. The

Council questions the Administration on matters of public interest

and debates its proposals in regard to policy

Council consisted of appointed members only.

principles laid down in the 1984 Hong Kong Government White Paper on

the Further Development of Representative 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

comprising all members of the District Boards and the Urban and

Regional Councils;

twelve by functional constituencies

and

representing significant sectors of the community.

The Legislative Council

25.

The 1985/86

in

session of the Legislative Council marked a

its history In addition to the introduction

significant stage

of elected members

increased from 45 to 56, and the number of civil

for the first time, the size of the Council was

The Council also moved

the central Government

two weeks.

met

servant members was

to a new Chamber,

and offices,

In addition to dealing with

various stages of enactment Council members asked supplementary questions of official members,

reduced from 16 to 10.

physically

from separate

weekly, instead of every

some 72 Bills at

296 questions and

797

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