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314
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
We have discussed this question in committee for many hours. From what I have heard, it is abundantly clear that a big majority of Urban Councillors consider it desirable to have only one council, or as the motion refers to it, policy making body, for the whole territory of Hong Kong. My own view is that there should be two.
I think we can all agree that there is at present a gap in the administration of the New Territories. The services which are provided in the urban area under the Urban Council are provided in the New Territories under the control and direction of the Central Government. This might have been the best way to do it when the New Territories was mainly rural and when places like Yuen Long were small villages. Now the New Territories have developed to such an extent that it has become necessary for the services we are talking about to be provided under the direction of a council.
The question is whether it should be under one large expanded Council covering the whole territory of Hong Kong or two separate councils. In every country, the same question must arise. Should there be more smaller bodies of local Government or fewer larger ones? Each way of doing it has its advantages and disadvantages, its pros and cons. One must be balanced against the other in arriving at a solution.
In our case, there are significant differences between the New Territories and the urban area. This point of view has been forcefully expressed by people connected with the New Territories in recent weeks. Since there are these differences, it is sensible to have two separate councils, so that each region can devise policies best suited to their own requirements.
The financial aspect has also been mentioned in our discussions. The assumption is that having two councils will be much more costly than having only one. I cannot see why this should be so. Staff will have to be employed and paid whether there is one council or two. If there are two councils, then there will be the extra expense of building and running a new Council Chamber and also a Secretariat. On the other hand, if there is only one council, then the existing Secretariat staff and facilities will have to be expanded to cope. In the overall context, the difference would be minimal.
For these reasons, I think it is desirable to have two separate regional councils. There will have to be details to be worked out, such as adjustment of boundaries, which islands should go to which council and so on. Once the major decision is made as to whether there should be one council or two, these matters of details can easily be worked out.
Mr. Chairman, I will vote in favour of the motion, but in doing so, I wish to make it clear that I agree that this Council should express its views on the matter but I do not agree that it is desirable to have only one policy making body as mentioned in the motion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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315
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, for further development of local administration, the Chief Secretary has proposed the establishment of a regional council in the New Territories. However, the rationale of it is indeed very weak and cannot be justified.
On discussion of the proposal, we have of course to consider the demands of a number of Urban Councillors, including myself, for the U.C. to extend its services to the N.T. in order to end the illogical situation in which the N.T.S.D. sometimes does not know what to follow in the provision of services to the New Territories.
In his speech, the Chief Secretary mentions the following points which I would like to examine one by one:—
(1) The population in areas north of Kowloon is rapidly growing and to encourage grass-roots participation in public affairs, a separate regional council is deemed necessary.
However, the expanded population in the N.T. live mostly in urbanized satellite towns where the services of the U.C., which has an experience of a hundred years, are specially needed. And, since the U.C. does have elected regional representation, the N.T. residents can certainly participate in administrative affairs through this channel.
(2) The present procedure is rather irregular. As there is no council in the N.T. similar to the U.C., the N.T.S.D. has to be answerable to the Central Government. A separate regional council is therefore desired.
For years, the Urban Councillors have time and again pointed out the situation as man-made and unreasonable, and suggested to expand the Council's services to the N.T.
(3) If the jurisdiction of the Urban Council is extended to cover also the N.T., the Council will become too large and unwieldy.
Hong Kong is a small place with highly concentrated population even in the satellite towns of the N.T. The U.C.'s job is to formulate policies in respect of urban services and see to their implementation. The appointed as well as elected councillors from the N.T. may well make their contributions just the same in a unified Urban Council.
As for the size of the Council's membership, there is nothing to worry about. In comparison to the close to a hundred seats in the London Municipal Council, the U.C. will still be very much manageable even if its seats are to be doubled.
A former Director of Urban Services has said that the U.C. should extend its jurisdiction to cover the N.T., whether from the point of logic, economy of resources, or administrative efficiency. I could not agree with him more and urge that the sooner the expansion, the better for all in Hong Kong.
Page 175
Page 176
Page 176 of 194
Page 175 of 194
314
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
We have discussed this question in committee for many hours. From what I have heard, it is abundantly clear that a big majority of Urban Councillors consider it desirable to have only one council, or as the motion refers to it. policy making body, for the whole territory of Hong Kong. My own view is that
there should be two.
I think we can all agree that there is at present a gap in the administration of the New Territories. The services which are provided in the urban area under the Urban Council are provided in the New Territories under the control and direction of the Central Government. This might have been the best way to do it when the New Territories was mainly rural and when places like Yuen Long were small villages. Now the New Territories have developed to such an extent that it has become necessary for the services we are talking about to be provided
under the direction of a council.
The question is whether it should be under one large expanded Council covering the whole territory of Hong Kong or two separate councils. In every country, the same question must arise. Should there be more smaller bodies of local Government or fewer larger ones? Each way of doing it has its advantages and disadvantages, its pros and cons. One must be balanced against the other in arriving at a solution.
In our case, there are significant differences between the New Territories and the urban area. This point of view has been forcefully expressed by people connected with the New Territories in recent weeks. Since there are these differences, it is sensible to have two separate councils, so that each region can devise policies best suited to their own requirements.
The financial aspect has also been mentioned in our discussions. The assumption is that having two councils will be much more costly than having only one. I cannot see why this should be so. Staff will have to be employed and paid whether there is one council or two. If there are two councils, then there will be the extra expense of building and running a new Council Chamber and also a Secretariat. On the other hand, if there is only one council, then the existing Secretariat staff and facilities will have to be expanded to cope. In the overall context, the difference would be minimal.
For these reasons, I think it is desirable to have two separate regional councils. There will have to be details to be worked out, such as adjustment of boundaries, which islands should go to which council and so on. Once the major decision is made as to whether there should be one council or two, these matters of details can easily be worked out.
Mr. Chairman, I will vote in favour of the motion, but in doing so, I wish to make it clear that I agree that this Council should express its views on the matter but I do not agree that it is desirable to have only one policy making body as mentioned in the motion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 175 of 194
315
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, for further development of local administration, the Chief Secretary has proposed the establishment of a regional council in the New Territories. However, the rationale of it is indeed very weak and cannot be justified.
On discussion of the proposal, we have of course to consider the demands of
a number of Urban Councillors, including myself, for the U.C. to extend its services to the N.T. in order to end the illogical situation in which the N.T.S.D. sometimes does not know what to follow in the provision of services to the New
Territories.
In his speech, the Chief Secretary mentions the following points which I would like to examine one by one:—
(1) The population in areas north of Kowloon is rapidly growing and to encourage grass-roots participation in public affairs, a separate regional council is deemed necessary.
However, the expanded population in the N.T. live mostly in urbanized atellite towns where the services of the U.C., which has an experience of a hundred years, are specially needed. And, since the U.C. does have elected regional representation, the N.T. residents can certainly participate in adminis- trative affairs through this channel.
(2) The present procedure is rather irregular. As there is no council in the N.T. similar to the U.C., the N.T.S.D. has to be answerable to the Central Government. A separate regional council is therefore desired.
For years, the Urban Councillors have time and again pointed out the situation as man-made and unreasonable, and suggested to expand the Council's services to the N.T.
(3) If the jurisdiction of the Urban Council is extended to cover also the
N.T., the Council will become too large and unwieldy.
Hong Kong is a small place with highly concentrated population even in the satellite towns of the N.T. The U.C.'s job is to formulate policies in respect of urban services and see to their implementation. The appointed as well as elected councillors from the N.T. may well make their contributions just the same in a unified Urban Council.
As for the size of the Council's membership, there is nothing to worry about. In comparison to the close to a hundred seats in the London Municipal Council, the U.C. will still be very much manageable even if its seats are to be doubled.
A former Director of Urban Services has said that the U.C. should extend its jurisdiction to cover the N.T., whether from the point of logic, economy of resources, or administrative efficiency. I could not agree with him more and urge that the sooner the expansion, the better for all in Hong Kong.
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