1983 — Page 178

Page 178 of 194

Page 178 of 194

320

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

and waste of resources? The main reason government gives is the difference between urban areas and the New Territories. Weren't Repulse Bay, Shek and Aberdeen all villages a number of years ago? Even up to now, these areas

are still called village lots.

The central government proposes to set up regional councils under the pretext of 'development of local administration'. While I have no objection to the principle of effecting improvements, I do object to the means of achieving the desired improvement. I would support changing the present Urban Council to a municipal council looking after all urban services for the whole of Hong Kong. Such a territory-wide council would have the advantage of formulating uniform policies, better co-ordination of work, high efficiency and good economy. Members of the municipal council should include people from the New Territories as well as urban areas. Initially, there should be an equal number of elected and appointed members. After three years, elected members should form the majority. The number of members, whether appointed or elected. should be in proportion to the present 18 urban and N.T. districts. In this way. people from the N.T. would have equal chance to participate in the provision of urban services for the whole territory. I stress again, this is service for the entire territory.

Another major reason for my objection to the establishment of regional councils is that by 'divide-and-rule, the central government is actually suppressing the N.T. people from offering their talents in matters outside the N.T. There are many outstanding leaders in the N.T. and how could we limit them to dealing with N.T. urban services only and say that they are not good enough to participate in the management of urban services in the urban areas. If the proposed regional councils are to be set up, it would be tantamount to a manifestation that some people are only good for manageing city urban services and others for N.T. urban services. It would be an insult to the intelligence of the N.T. people and also a discrimination to which I strongly object. Such parochialism is unacceptable to-day.

If the Urban Council is reinstituted as a municipal council responsible for the urban services of the whole of Hong Kong, all people in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories could work together to provide urban services to both urban areas and the N.T., serving the people of Hong Kong as a whole.

To conclude my speech, I wish to reiterate that:

'By offering a counter-proposal, the Urban Council is not seeking to expand its influence; and

'We earnestly invite the N.T. people to join hand with us in the provision of urban services for the whole of Hong Kong'.

MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I agree in principal that there should be a single council on urban services to cover the whole of Hong Kong. In my opinion, policies made by a single council would be more

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

321

appropriate than those decided by 2 councils in the context of the rather small area of Hong Kong.

arrive at some

If there are 2 independent councils, they may reach different decisions and conflicting policies which will be bad for the territory as a whole. Some may say that it is impossible as both councils are working in the interests of the public.

are

I shall cite here an actual example. In the control of hawkers, the Housing Department's estates are entirely independent and their policies in this regard often different from those of the Urban Council. Thus problems do arise in co-ordination. For instance, up to now, the Wongtaisin Market is still very much affected by the hawkers operating near it. The Wongtaisin Market is managed by the Urban Council while the hawkers nearby are under the control of the Housing Department. As the Housing Department chooses to tolerate these hawkers, stall operators in the Wongtaisin Market invariably suffer to some extent. Another example is the Chai Wan Temporary Market which is recently built by the Urban Council. The rent charged by the Council at this temporary market is cheaper and so the business of those stalls at the nearby Wan Tsui Estate Temporary Market administered by the Housing Department is adversely affected. These all result from the divergent policies determined by 2 different bodies.

In the present set-up, the Urban Services Department carries out the decisions of the Urban Council in matters pertaining to urban areas. However, in the New Territories, the Director of Urban Services has sole authority in the management of all urban services there. In other words, the Director of Urban Services is responsible for the urban services in both urban areas and the New Territories.

Since the Urban Services Department is in a position to run all the urban services in the whole territory, why can't a single council be entrusted with the responsibility of making policies in respect of urban services for the whole of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories?

Let's also look at other government departments, such as the Police Force, Fire Services, Labour, Medical, Education, Agriculture and Fisheries, Transport, and Social Welfare etc. All these departments are each administered and co-ordinated by a single executive body. It follows therefore that all urban services policies may also be decided by a single council.

It is said that there are special problems in regard to urban services in the New Territories, as they still retain a strong rural character. Such problems will probably cease to exist as time goes. By 1991, the population in the New Territories will exceed 3 000 000. Even to-day, many districts in the New Territories are in fact townships, for by world standard, a place with a population of over 100 000 is considered as a town.