ENG-1999 — Page 43

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

community activities and government campaigns, and advise on issues of a local

nature.

Mutual Aid Committees are building-based resident organisations, established to improve the security, cleanliness and general management of multi-storey buildings. About 70 Area Committees and 3 800 Mutual Aid Committees provide an extensive network of communication between the Government and the people at the grassroots level.

Attached to the district offices are 19 public enquiry service centres, which provide a wide range of free services to members of the public, including answering general enquiries on government services; distributing government forms and information; administering oaths and declarations; and referring cases under the Provisional District Board Members' meet-the-public scheme, the free Legal Advice Scheme and Rent Officer Scheme. The public enquiry service centres and central telephone enquiry centre received 2.73 million clients in 1999.

New Framework for Delivery of Municipal Services

The decision to introduce structural changes for the delivery of municipal services has required that changes be made in the Government's administrative structure.

On food safety and environmental hygiene, a new Environment and Food Bureau will be set up to oversee all the related functions. The new policy bureau will be underpinned by a new Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, as well as the existing Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, which will be renamed the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The new bureau will provide central co-ordination and direction on all food and environmental hygiene-related matters. It will also facilitate speedy responses to food incidents, improve risk assessment and communication capacities, and provide better protection for the community. Moreover, an Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene will be set up to give advice and to monitor the Government's work in this area.

To consider liquor licence applications, a Liquor Licensing Board will be established. In addition, a Licensing Appeals Board will also be set up to hear appeals against decisions on licensing of food and environmental hygiene as well as leisure matters. Both of these boards will operate as statutory and independent bodies, with members appointed from the community.

A new Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be set up under the Home Affairs Bureau to handle arts and culture and sports and recreation. A Culture and Heritage Commission will be established to advise the Government on the formulation of overall cultural policies and on broad funding priorities for arts and culture. The new structure will strengthen professional and community input and ensure effective use of resources.

Upon the reorganisation of municipal services, there is no need to retain the municipal councils after 1999. The Provision of Municipal Services (Reorganisation) Ordinance which transfers the powers, functions, and liabilities of the provisional municipal councils to the Government and other statutory bodies was enacted in December. The new structure for the delivery of municipal services will start to operate on January 1, 2000.

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