TNAG-1755-FCO40-2475-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 158

The Finance Committee of LEGCO, on which all Unofficial members sit, considers all proposals involving expenditure from public funds. A Public Accounts Committee considers th annual report of the Director of Audit and reports to the Govern

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By taking part in the process of government, the Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils play a significant role in the administration of Hong Kong. They advise on the formulation of government policies, participate in the enactment of legislation, consider complaints by members of the public against government departments and monitor the effectiveness of public administration. The 22 appointed Unofficial members are selected by the Governor from a wide spectrum of society and they hold more than 300 seats, outside the two councils, on various committees and boards dealing with public and community affairs. The 24 elected members comprise 12 who are elected by an Electoral College composed of members of the Urban Council (URBCO), the Regional Council (REGCO) and Hong Kong's 19 District Boards; and 12 who are elected by functional constituencies representing legal, commercial, industrial, social services, medical, teaching, labour, financial and professional groups.

The only bodies participating in the Government of Hong Kong that consist entirely of members of the public are URB CO and REGCO. Half of URBCO's 30 members are elected; the remainder are appointed by the Governor from among prominent members of the community. The most recent elections were held in March 1986. URBCO's responsibilitie are limited to the urban areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon (where, altogether, about three-quarters of the population live). Its main duties are public hygiene, and the control of recreational and cultural facilities. On 1 April 1986 a new REGCO was established with the same powers and functions in the New Territories as URBCO has in the urban area: 12 of REGCO's 36 members are directly elected; 12 are appointed by the Governor; are indirectly elected by the District Boards; and 3 are ex officio representatives of the indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories.

District Boards (and associated District Management Committees) were established in 1982 in 18 districts, 10 in the urban area and 8 in the New Territories. The Boards, part elected and part appointed, advise the Government on matters affecting the well-being of the people at a district level. Elections to the Boards were first held in the new Territories in March 1982, and in the urban area in September 1982. The second round of elections were held in March 1985, when the number of Boards was increased to 19; 213 seats were contested by nearly 500 candidates, and over 476,000 or one third of the registered electorate of 1.4 million, voted.

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A White Paper on the further development of representative government was published in November 1984 and its proposals endorsed by LEGCO in January 1985. The main proposal was that some Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council should be elected by specified functional constituencies and others by members of URBCO, the new REGCO and the District Boards: and the number of official appointed Unoffical members would be reduced. Following amendments to the Letters Patent and Royal Instructions, which provide Hong Kong's constitutional framework, elections to the Legislative Council were held for the first time in September 1985, when 24 members, all well known figures experienced in community service, were elected. In 1987 the Hong Kong government reviewed developments in representati government. The review generated widespread debate in Hong Kong, particularly on the question of the introduction of an element of direct elections in LEGCO.