ENG-1963 — Page 450

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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statistics required by other departments of Government. The department also administers the London and Sydney offices of the Hong Kong Government. (The work of these departments has been described in chapters 4 and 6).

The Public Works Department, under a director, has nine sub- departments, dealing with waterworks; Crown lands and surveys; the administration of the Buildings Ordinance; electrical and mechanical works (including Government motor transport); archi- tecture (Government buildings); development; port works; drain- age, and roads. The Director of Public Works is also responsible for town planning. (See also chapters 10, 16 and 17).

The Urban Council, constituted under the Urban Council Ordin- ance, consists of five ex officio members, namely the chairman (who is at the same time Director of the Urban Services Depart- ment), the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services (vice- chairman), the Director of Public Works, the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and the Director of Social Welfare; and 16 ordinary members, of whom eight are elected and eight appointed by the Governor. The Commissioner for Resettlement sits as a temporary additional ex officio member. The term of office of ordinary members is four years. The Council meets monthly to transact formal business, but most of its business is dealt with by 15 select committees and three sub-committees, which meet at frequent intervals.

The membership of the Urban Council is given at Appendix XIII. The Council carries out its responsibilities through the Urban Services Department and the Resettlement Department. The Urban Services Department (whose work is also described in chapters 9 and 24), operates the basic sanitary services in both the urban areas and the New Territories behind Kowloon, with a variety of other duties in the field of public health such as the supervision of food premises and hawkers, the operation of the city's slaughter- houses, and pest control measures. In addition, the department controls and staffs the parks, playgrounds and bathing beaches. The management of the multi-storey car parks in the centre of the city as well as the open-air car parks in Hong Kong and Kowloon is also a responsibility of the Council, as is the City Hall.

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