Hong Kong (Hansard, 6 June 1980)

§ Mr. Blaker

Copies of the Green Paper will be placed in the Vote Office of the House by 13 June. It has been published as a basis for discussion of the pattern of district administration in Hong Kong. The proposals can be summarised as follows:

For the New Territories

(a) To introduce an elected element to the district advisory boards.
(b) Each elected member to represent a separate constituency in the area served by the district advisory board.
(c) Election to be by all adults over the age of 21 residing in the New Territories with more than three years' residence in Hong Kong.

For the urban area

(a) The district management committee system, established experimentally in Kwun Tong, to be extended to other urbandistricts.
(b) District boards comprising officials and appointed unofficials to be established in the urban area with terms of reference slightly narrower than those of the district advisory boards in the New Territories.

Implications for the urban council:

These proposals are primarily concerned with district administration, but if adopted it is suggested that consequent changes for the urban council might be:

(a) Substitute adult suffrage for the present franchise.
(b) Have elections on a constituency basis—hopefully this would make the urban council more accountable about the more mundane aspects of its work. The urban area would be divided into eight districts, one of which would have one constituency and the rest two, returning 15 elected members in all. The number of appointed members would be increased to 15.
(c) Reserve seats on district boards for urban council members elected for constituencies within the district, if they wish to participate in the board's work.
(d) Similarly reserve seats for appointed members on district boards of their choice.

I welcome these proposals and the opportunity which has been given for

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public opinion in Hong Kong to give its views on them.