ENG-2019 — Page 41

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Constitution and Administration

Redress System

The council operates a system which enables members of the public to seek help for redress of grievances resulting from government actions or policies. The redress system also deals with public representations on government policies and legislation as well as other matters of public concern. Members take turns, in groups of seven, to be on duty each week to oversee the redress system and to receive representations and complaints made by deputations. They also take turns to be on 'ward duty' at the Public Complaints Office during their duty week to meet individual members of the public and to provide guidance to staff of the office on the processing of cases.

The Legislative Council Commission and Legislative Council Secretariat

The Legislative Council Commission is a 13-member independent statutory body chaired by the President of the Legislative Council. Its main function is to provide administrative support and services to the council through the Legislative Council Secretariat. It employs the secretariat's staff and oversees its work, determines the organisation and administration of support services and facilities, formulates and executes policies on their effective operation, and expends funds in ways it sees fit to support these activities. The secretariat is headed by the Secretary General. Its mission is to provide the council and its committees with professional and efficient support and services, enhance public understanding of the council's work and ensure the effective operation of its redress system.

District Administration

Hong Kong comprises 18 districts, each with a District Office, a District Council and a District Management Committee (DMC). Each district office is headed by a District Officer, who represents the HKSAR Government at the local level in overseeing district administration.

The 18 District Councils of the fifth term (2016-19) have 458 seats in all, comprising 431 elected seats and 27 ex-officio seats whose members are the chairmen of the New Territories rural committees. In the sixth-term District Councils (2020-23), 21 elected seats are added, making a total of 479 seats filled by 452 elected members and 27 ex-officio members.

The councils advise the government on matters affecting the well-being of their local residents, and on the provision and use of their public facilities and services. The government consults the councils on a wide range of issues. The councils carry out minor district works and community. involvement projects, for which the government allocated $360 million and $461.6 million, respectively, in the 2019-20 financial year.

The DMCs are government bodies chaired by the district officers. Each DMC comprises the chairman, vice-chairman and committee chairmen of the council and representatives of government departments providing essential services in the district. It serves as a forum for consultation and coordination between various departments and the council to resolve interdepartmental district issues and to ensure district needs are met promptly.

The government allocates $63 million to the 18 districts annually to implement a District-led Actions Scheme. The scheme enables the DMCs, by fully engaging their District Councils, to

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