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of Council's opinion. Mr. Woo asks for closer co-operation between the City District Officers and Members of this Council, and I hope we have already shown our willingness to do all we can to achieve this. In many cases City District Officers and Members have already been working together. In particular Mr. Woo suggests that Members of this Council be now invited to the regular meetings which City District Officers have with Kaifong and other local leaders. I am happy to extend this invitation here and now. I would suggest that as soon as the ward boundaries have been adjusted to coincide with the City Districts, Members should get in touch with the City District Officers, and they have already been instructed to inform Members when and where these meeting should take place, and indeed, Sir, if there is any technical delay in the adjustment of these boundaries I see no reason why these contacts should be delayed pending that being settled.

Sir, City District Officers, Members of this Council and many others too in Hong Kong, both within and outside the Government service, share a concern for the well-being of those who live here. The nature of our work and interests varies, and the ways in which we are able to further this well-being are different. None of us can claim a monopoly in this field nor should we want to. The City District Officer scheme has been established to assist in this common effort and it is my aim to develop this organization, in co-operation with all others sharing this concern, in such a way as to further understanding and sympathy between people who work within the Government and the people whom they serve.

Sir, I support the Motion. (Applause).

MR. BERNACCHI:-As a personal explanation I rise to say that I was not questioning the ability of the City District Officers, I was saying that as junior or junior senior officers not having access to files, their ability to render injustices is limited, and I was almost pleading for more co-operation between them and ward Councillors.

CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, Members of this Council, who are charged (in spite of what some people seem to think) with the res- ponsibility of directing so many aspects of the urban areas' life, by the very nature of things and people, cannot help but have an overflow of ideas on matters which do not fall within the Council's jurisdiction. And by convention, this debate affords Members an opportunity to air their views on such matters. I must say that, if criticism is a healthy sign, then this Council needs little or no medical care. (Laughter).

This is the first time I have taken part in a conventional debate as Chairman, and perhaps I might therefore be permitted to express my reaction to it. With few exceptions, Members have taken the opportuni- ty to criticize what they consider to be the short-comings of Government.

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Much of what they have said may have substance. However, the overall impression I gained from the speeches made by Unofficials, just as the Director of Public Works did, was that the Government, of which, of course, this Council is an integral part, had achieved little or nothing. Naturally, this is very far from the truth. There have been some very solid achievements by both the Central Government and this Council. For example, on the Council side, not a word was said about the multi-million dollar abattoir now operating at Kennedy Town, nor was there even a passing reference to the refuse on the Island now being devoured at the Public Works Department's incinerator (also at Kennedy Town) or to the 150,000 persons entertained since March at a series of dances, variety shows, beach parties, Chinese operas, film shows and youth camps. Nor again, as Mr. WRIGHT has also pointed out, was there any mention of the new projects already building or the plans already laid or being considered for such schemes as the new abattoir and incinerator at Cheung Sha Wan, or the various new markets, Kowloon Park, Aberdeen Sports Ground, the three swimming pool complexes, which will open next year, the 100% increase in the Council's Block Vote for the provision of parks and playgrounds (now standing at $4 million), and so on and so on. I feel, firstly, that the man-in-the-street might have been a little more impressed and possibly gained a much better idea of the work of this Council had some of these achievements been stressed and, secondly, that this is the best opportunity for Members-particularly elected ones at a time when an election is due to show what they have been able to do within the scope of their present responsibilities. It is unfortunate, I think, that this debate takes the form it now generally does and, before the next one, I would like Members to reconsider their position.

Many of the matters raised by Members involved the policies of other departments. These matters have been drawn to the attention of the departments concerned, and replies to some of the points raised may reach Members of this Council and the public through other avenues than today's official replies. This afternoon, except for a reference to the general problem of corruption, I shall confine myself to affairs of this Council.

It was Dr. BELL who raised the subject of corruption-a matter of very real concern to Government which is seeking methods by which action to combat this evil can be strengthened.

As a result of visits by Government officers to Ceylon and Singapore to study anti-corruption measures adopted there, a working party was set up to consider corruption legislation and recently submitted a new draft Bill, now being examined by the Government departments con- cerned. Thereafter, the advice of the Advisory Committee on Corrup- tion will be sought on the Bill, which envisages stronger anti-corruption measures, but does not in itself contain proposals for a new anti-