ENG-1986 — Page 40

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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The Regional Council is financially autonomous. It is financed by income from fees, charges and rates collected in the Regional Council area. A one-off setting-up grant of $100 million has been provided from the central government. During its first year of existence in 1986-7, recurrent and non-recurrent expenditure is expected to amount to $850 million. Expenditure on capital works projects, however, is funded by the government under an interim arrangement which will continue to apply until 1988-9.

The Regional Council has scheduled 13 meetings for 1986–7. In addition, the council has set up three functional select committees, nine geographically based district committees and a liquor licensing board. The three select committees deal with finance, capital works, administration, environmental hygiene, and recreation and culture, while the district committees deal with operational matters for each district. The select committees of the Regional Council meet monthly, the district committees meet bi-monthly and the liquor licensing board meets quarterly. All meetings of the Regional Council, its select committees, district committees as well as the liquor licensing board are open to the public.

The Regional Council maintains close liaison with the district boards in the Regional Council area and the Heung Yee Kuk to ensure that local aspirations and views are taken into account in its deliberations. Some members of district boards are co-opted to the district committees of the Regional Council to enhance co-operation and communication between the Regional Council and district boards.

District Administration

District boards are statutory bodies established in 1982 to provide an effective forum for public consultation and participation in administration at the district level.

There are 19 district boards throughout the territory. They consist of members who are elected from constituencies in each district, or are appointed members, and Urban Councillors or rural committee chairmen who have seats reserved for them on the boards in the urban areas and in the New Territories respectively. There are altogether 237 elected members and 132 appointed members on the boards.

The functions of the district boards as laid down in the District Boards Ordinance are principally advisory. Through the advice they give, the boards have an important contribution to make in the management of district affairs. In monitoring the work of the government at the district level, the boards discuss a wide range of matters affecting the well-being of the people in the district. [ Ji

They are also responsible for minor environmental improvements and the promotion of recreation and cultural activities in their respective districts, with funds allocated specifi- cally for this purpose. To this end, $35 million was made available to the 19 district boards in 1986-7.

In order to keep in close contact with the views of local residents, many board members take part in the meet-the-public scheme. Under this scheme, local residents can make an appointment to meet their board members in the district office and to express their views on local issues and problems.

In the task of local administration, the boards work closely with district

management committees (DMCs) which are chaired by the district officers and comprise representatives from the various government departments working in the districts. The DMCs provide a forum for inter-departmental consultation and discussion to help ensure that action taken by the government is co-ordinated and responsive to local needs and that, as far as possible, the advice of the district boards is taken into account.