ENG-1989 — Page 40

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

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at fortnightly in-house meetings. There are 16 standing panels formed by members, which regularly monitor the policy and progress of work in different areas of activity. These include: community and New Territories affairs; constitutional development; culture, recreation and sports (recreation and culture since October 1989); economic services and public utilities; education; environmental affairs; finance, taxation and monetary affairs; health services; housing; lands and works; manpower; public service; security; trade and industry; transport, and welfare services. Besides meeting among themselves, panel mem- bers hold sessions with senior government officials and interest groups to hear their views.

In addition to these standing panels, a number of special groups were set up in 1989 after the June 4 events in China, with the aim of ensuring a safe and secure future for the people of Hong Kong and of boosting confidence in the territory. These include the Working Group on Nationality whose task is to urge Britain to restore to British subjects in Hong Kong the right of abode in the United Kingdom, the steering group to promote and strengthen Hong Kong as an international city, and the specialist group to study the second draft of the Basic Law with particular reference to the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

In addition, members serve on more than 300 committees and boards dealing with matters of public concern.

Members also maintain regular informal contact with district boards. They keep in close touch with what is happening throughout the territory by frequent visits to government _departments and places of public concern, such as Vietnamese refugee centres. They obtain the latest information on development plans and the problems people face, and it is as a result of these contacts that many of the questions in the Legislative Council are raised.

OMELCO is also a channel through which the public may express grievances. Members deal with public representatives on government policy, appeals and complaints. Following the establishment of an ombudsman, formally known as the Commissioner for Adminis- trative Complaints, in February 1989, complaints against government departments alleging maladministration may be referred, if the complainant so requests, by a non-official member of the Legislative Council to the Commissioner for action.

Urban Council

The Urban Council is a statutory council with responsibilities for the provision of municipal services to almost 3.6 million people in the urban areas. As such, the Urban Council has considerable executive authority and is charged with full responsibility for a wide range of municipal functions. These functions include street cleansing, refuse collection, control of environmental hygiene, and ensuring the hygienic handling and preparation of food in restaurants, shops, abattoirs and other places. The Urban Council is also the authority for the control of hawkers and street-traders, although some of this devolves on the police as the council does not have the manpower or finance to shoulder the whole burden. An inter-departmental working party reviewing hawker control mea- sures has made some progress in resolving some of the major issues, and it is hoped that it will report to the government in the next few months.

Within the urban area, the council also provides and manages all public recreation and sporting facilities such as swimming pools, parks, playgrounds, indoor and outdoor stadia, tennis courts, football grounds, squash courts and basketball courts, and promotes a large number of sports at district level. The council manages museums, public libraries and several major cultural venues and multi-purpose facilities, including the City Hall, Queen Elizabeth Stadium and the Hong Kong Coliseum. It is currently involved in the