HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In my opinion, the ward system is the nearest that Hong Kong has yet come to an ombudsman system. It is not an ombudsman system because the Councillors do it in their spare time rather than all day and every day, and they do not have access to any files except Resettlement and Urban Services Department files. Nevertheless, it is such a bridge between the Unofficials who are part of the overall Government machinery and the Government itself, that we should regard it as one of our most essential duties.
The second point that I wish to make is that this Report is principally an Urban Council Report and therefore, in my opinion, should include the Resettlement Department, instead of making the Resettlement Department a separate quarterly report. I have been acting Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee, and I know that over the past few meetings we have had to discuss a lot of matters which will affect the individual tenants of Resettlement Estates, particularly in the Mark VI Blocks that are coming up later this year.
Finally, I wish to report as Chairman of the Hawker Policy Select Committee that apart from the subjects listed in this Report, a whole new outline policy has now been agreed in principle by the Whole of the Urban Council, and I hope will be published in a short while. We have been assured by the Governor himself that we will now get the staff on the ground for the purpose of enforcing our policies. I might add that I do hope we get the right sort of persons, and be able to offer the right sort of salaries to attract the right sort of persons into the Urban Services Department. No new policy can be of any use unless it is efficiently, courageously and humanely carried out on the ground.
MR. A. de O. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, a remark made by Mr. BERNACCHI on the ward system tempts me to rise on the same subject. A speech was made in the Legislative Council a few days ago about the ombudsman. Reference was then made to the development in Hong Kong of the services which Government is able to offer to the public through (a) U.M.E.L.C.O. and (b) City District Offices. No mention was made at all about the service rendered by the Urban Council through the ward offices. Mr. Chairman, I suggest that when it is your turn to speak, if it is your turn in this period, that you set the score right by referring to the work which the Urban Councillors do in their ward offices. These statistics are published. (Mr. SALES referred to the statistic in the Monthly Report). I can only speak as far as our ward is concerned, and they refer only to letters; they do not take into account the numerous telephone calls and personal interventions. If so low a stock is set by the Government on the work done by the Urban Council in the wards, I suggest, Sir, that I for one will consider very seriously whether all the time that I have been devoting to this particular aspect of the Council assignment is, in point of fact, appreciated by the Government as a public service.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LI YIU-BOR:-Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of clarification of a point made by Mr. Brook BERNACCHI. The drop in the ward figures need not worry us, because February was the month of the Chinese New Year, and the Chinese were so busy with their celebrations that they had no time to come to our ward offices with any complaints. I know that, in certain parts outside Hong Kong where the Chinese people live, they do not do any work until the 15th of the first moon, and they stop work in the last week of the New Year. That covers the whole of February and therefore the figure quoted in the Report need not worry us but, of course, I quite agree with the other points which Mr. Brook BERNACCHI has made.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI: -Mr. Chairman, I would now like to speak on the second paper laid on the table, the Urban Council Report on the Reform of Local Government. The Report on the Reform of Local Government, which I had a hand in formulating is really the lowest common multiple of the varied interests represented on this Council. If, for instance, it was a report by the Reform Club's Elected Members, or even by the Elected Members as a whole, it would have been different. We like to think it would have been more progressive. Having said this, I must congratulate our Appointed brethren for this Report which goes a good way to achieve what the Reform Club's Elected Members in particular have called for, namely, (a) an elected majority (b) a wider jurisdiction for this Council, including the management of education, a say in social welfare, in traffic and transport and town planning and even a slight say in medical matters, (c) the achievement of the aim that the Council will be a self-financing body and have its own Council staff and (d) the vex question of simultaneous translation which now will be introduced during Phase I, i.e. about 1970.
I get the impression, however, that the question of District Councils has been shelved by putting it into Phase III without a clear decision taken upon it, whereas the basis for our 1966 Report was that the District Councils be responsible to the Greater Hong Kong Council, and that that Council be responsible direct to the Governor in Council. If the District Councils are not going to materialize, and there is a lot to be said for and against these particular forms of Councils, then the widening of the franchise should be an undertaking without delay. It is ridiculous that from a population of over 4 million we have a positive franchise of about 34,000 people. I recommend that the whole question be reconsidered by a Working Party without the restrictions that were placed upon the previous Working Party that resulted in this limited franchise of 23 separate categories.
Finally, shall I say (e), I am particularly glad to see that the whole Urban Council has accepted that there should be a Housing Department instead of this conglomeration of persons, committees and Government Departments deciding policies, building and managing public housing.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In my opinion, the ward system is the nearest that Hong Kong has yet come to an ombudsman system. It is not an ombudsman system because the Councillors do it in their spare time rather than all day and every day, and they do not have access to any files except Resettlement and Urban Services Department files. Nevertheless, it is such a bridge between the Unofficials who are part of the overall Government machinery and the Government itself, that we should regard it as one of our most essential duties.
The second point that I wish to make is that this Report is principally an Urban Council Report and therefore, in my opinion, should include the Resettlement Department, instead of making the Resettlement Department a separate quarterly report. I have been acting Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee, and I know that over the past few meetings we have had to discuss a lot of matters which will affect the individual tenants of Resettlement Estates, particularly in the Mark VI Blocks that are coming up later this year.
Finally, I wish to report as Chairman of the Hawker Policy Select Committee that apart from the subjects listed in this Report, a whole new outline policy has now been agreed in principle by the Whole of the Urban Council, and I hope will be published in a short while. We have been assured by the Governor himself that we will now get the staff on the ground for the purpose of enforcing our policies. I might add that I do hope we get the right sort of persons, and be able to offer the right sort of salaries to attract the right sort of persons into the Urban Services Department. No new policy can be of any use unless it is efficiently, courageously and humanely carried out on the ground.
MR. A. de O. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, a remark made by Mr. BERNACCHI on the ward system tempts me to rise on the same subject. A speech was made in the Legislative Council a few days ago about the ombudsman. Reference was then made to the development in Hong Kong of the services which Government is able to offer to the public through (a) U.M.E.L.C.O. and (b) City District Offices. No mention was made at all about the service rendered by the Urban Council through the ward offices. Mr. Chairman, I suggest that when it is your turn to speak, if it is your turn in this period, that you set the score right by referring to the work which the Urban Councillors do in their ward offices. These statistics are published. (Mr. SALES referred to the statistic in the Monthly Report). I can only speak as far as our ward is concerned, and they refer only to letters; they do not take into account the numerous telephone calls and personal interventions. If so low a stock is set by the Government on the work done by the Urban Council in the wards, I suggest, Sir, that I for one will consider very seriously whether all the time that I have been devoting to this particular aspect of the Council assignment is, in point of fact, appre- ciated by the Government as a public service.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
425
MR. LI YIU-BOR:-Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of clarifica- tion of a point made by Mr. Brook BERNACCHI. The drop in the ward figures need not worry us, because February was the month of the Chinese New Year, and the Chinese were so busy with their celebrations that they had no time to come to our ward offices with any complaints. I know that, in certain parts outside Hong Kong where the Chinese people live, they do not do any work until the 15th of the first moon, and they stop work in the last week of the New Year. That covers the whole of February and therefore the figure quoted in the Report need not worry us but, of course, I quite agree with the other points which Mr. Brook BERNACCHI has made.
ent.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI: -Mr. Chairman, I would now like to speak on the second paper laid on the table, the Urban Council Report on the Reform of Local Government. The Report on the Reform of Local Government, which I had a hand in formulating is really the lowest common multiple of the varied interests represented on this Council. If, for instance, it was a report by the Reform Club's Elected Members, or even by the Elected Members as a whole, it would have been differ- We like to think it would have been more progressive. Having said this, I must congratulate our Appointed brethren for this Report which goes a good way to achieve what the Reform Club's Elected Members in particular have called for, namely, (a) an elected majority (b) a wider jurisdiction for this Council, including the management of education, a say in social welfare, in traffic and transport and town planning and even a slight say in medical matters, (c) the achievement of the aim that the Council will be a self-financing body and have its own Council staff and (d) the vex question of simultaneous translation which now will be introduced during Phase I, i.e. about 1970.
I get the impression, however, that the question of District Councils has been shelved by putting it into Phase III without a clear decision taken upon it, whereas the basis for our 1966 Report was that the District Councils be responsible to the Greater Hong Kong Council, and that that Council be responsible direct to the Governor in Council. If the District Councils are not going to materialize, and there is a lot to be said for and against these particular forms of Councils, then the widening of the franchise should be an undertaking without delay. It is ridiculous that from a population of over 4 million we have a positive franchise of about 34,000 people. I recommend that the whole question be reconsidered by a Working Party without the restrictions that were placed upon the previous Working Party that resulted in this limited franchise of 23 separate categories.
Finally, shall I say (e), I am particularly glad to see that the whole Urban Council has accepted that there should be a Housing Department instead of this conglomeration of persons, committees and Government Departments deciding policies, building and managing public housing.
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