ENG-1961 — Page 417

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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Reference to the Registrar General's Department is made in Chapter 13, and to the Marine, Railway and Civil Aviation Departments, the Post Office and the Royal Observatory in Chapter 15. The Information Services Department, Radio Hong Kong and the new Public Enquiry Service are described in Chapter 16. Chapter 7 describes the work of the Agriculture and Forestry Department, and of the Co-operative Development and Fisheries Department.

The Fire Services Department, which is under the control of a Director, provides fire protection throughout the urban areas, for the main districts of the New Territories, and for shipping in the harbour. Additional fire stations are now under construction to increase fire cover for the Colony as part of a scheme of planned development for the ten years to 1970. The Fire Service has an establishment of over 1,200 officers and other ranks, with 71 mobile fire appliances, 4 fire boats and 26 ambulances.

The Stores Department, under a Controller, buys and distributes Government stores, maintains all furniture for offices and quarters, and administers the Government monopoly of sand. The Printing Department, under the Government Printer, is responsible for the printing of most Government publications. The Quartering Office deals with accommodation for civil servants.

NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION

1

The New Territories are divided into five administrative districts, each under a District Officer who has a staff ranging between 80 and 160, depending on the size of the district. The largest and most populous district is Tai Po which covers the north-east of the New Territories and has its District Office at Tai Po Market. The second largest and most populous district is Yuen Long in the north-west, with its District Office at Ping Shan. The third district is Tsuen Wan which covers the rapidly growing industrial complex of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island, as well as Ma Wan Island and the northern tip of Lantau Island. Its District Office is in Tsuen Wan itself. The fourth and fifth districts are Sai Kung and Islands, both of which have District Offices in Gascoigne Road, Kowloon. The Sai Kung District covers the southern part of the Sai Kung peninsula, the Clear Water Bay peninsula and the adjoining islands. The Islands District covers