ENG-1987 — Page 40

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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financed by a share of the rates which provides about 70 per cent of its income, with the balance coming from various licence fees and other charges.

The council has individual or collective ward offices spread throughout the urban areas where councillors deal with and answer complaints from the public on a great variety of matters. Although the majority of matters raised lie outside the council's jurisdiction, councillors are often able to assist and obtain redress where appropriate from the various government departments and public bodies.

Regional Council

The Regional Council was established on April 1, 1986 and is the statutory municipal authority for the area outside the jurisdiction of the Urban Council comprising the new towns of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Fanling/Sheung Shui and Yuen Long and their hinterlands, together with the rural areas of Sai Kung and the Islands. Like the Urban Council, the Regional Council is responsible for all matters concerning environmental hygiene, public health, sanitation, liquor licensing and the provision of recreation and cultural facilities and services within its jurisdiction, the Regional Council area, where 1.8 million people live.

The Regional Council comprises 36 members. Twelve of the members are elected directly from the 12 constituencies in the Regional Council area. Nine representative members are elected from the nine district boards in the same area, 12 are appointed by the Governor and the remaining three are ex-officio members being the Chairman and two Vice- Chairmen of the Heung Yee Kuk, a statutory advisory body which represents the indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories.

The Regional Council's policies are implemented by its executive arm, the Regional Services Department, which has a staff of 8 800.

The Regional Council is financially autonomous. Its main source of revenue comes from rates collected in the Regional Council area which provide about 85 per cent of the total revenue, with the remainder being fees and charges and interest on deposits. During its first year of existence, 1986-7, total revenue amounted to $1,033 million while total recurrent and non-recurrent expenditure amounted to $779 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 meets monthly to deal with policy issues, formal motions, and questions on its activities. The council has set up four functional select committees, nine geographically based district committees and a liquor licensing board. The four select committees deal with finance and administration, capital works, environmental hygiene, and recreation and culture while the district committees deal with and monitor the provision of services and the management of Regional Council facilities in individual districts. The select committees 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 as well as non-district board members are co-opted to the district committees of the Regional Council, providing an opportunity for the views of local district representatives to be taken into account in the planning and provision of service and facilities.