Page:HKFactSheet DistrictAdministration 042015.pdf/2

 Consultation with District Councils: Departments send representatives to district council meetings, to consult them and, where appropriate, act on their advice and keep them informed of government policies and programmes in general and, more specifically, of the work of departments in the district and local matters that are likely to affect the livelihood, living environment or well-being of the residents within a district.

Composition of District Councils: The fourth-term district councils, comprising 507 seats (412 elected, 68 appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio who are chairmen of the rural committees in the New Territories), commenced on January 1, 2012. The distribution of seats is as follows:

District Management Committees: The district management committee in each district is chaired by the district officer. It is a government committee consisting of representatives of the core departments in the district, and provides a forum for departments to discuss and resolve district problems. It responds positively to the advice and requests of the district council and submits a comprehensive written report on its work to each meeting of the district council.

To enhance communication between the district management committee and the district council, the district council chairman, vice chairman and chairmen of district council committees are invited to join district management committee as members. In April 2014, the Home Affairs Department introduced a pilot scheme in Sham Shui Po and Yuen Long, providing the District Management Committees chaired by District Officers with the decision-making power to tackle the management and environmental hygiene problems of some public areas, and with advice from the District Councils on the work priorities. The Government has provided each district with a one-off provision of $5 million and additional manpower to implement the pilot scheme. The Government will conduct a review upon completing the pilot scheme in August 2015. We will actively consider providing additional manpower and resources depending on circumstances to implement the scheme in all 18 districts starting from the next term of district council to take forward the concept of "addressing district issues at the local level and capitalising on local opportunities".

Area Committees: Area committees were formed in 1972 primarily to promote public participation in the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign and the Fight Violent Crime Campaign. Nowadays, the functions of area committees are to promote public participation in district affairs, to advise and assist in the organisation of community involvement activities and the implementation of government-sponsored initiatives, and advise on issues of a localised nature affecting the area. Throughout the years, area committees have played an important role in the districts and in providing a link between the local community and the Government.

Area committee members are appointed by the Director of Home Affairs and are drawn from a wide spectrum of the community including district council members of the area concerned. At present, there are 63 area committees in Hong Kong.

Mutual Aid Committees: A mutual aid committee is a voluntary body formed by the residents of a building.

Mutual aid committees were promoted initially in private multi-storey buildings, and quickly extended to public housing estates, industrial buildings, temporary housing and squatter areas. At the end of March 2015, there were 1 827 mutual aid committees throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.

The primary aims of a mutual aid committee are to promote a sense of friendliness, mutual help and responsibility among members, and to promote better security, a better environment and, generally, more effective management within the building. These committees make available a channel of two-way communication between the Government and the residents on matters affecting the well-being of the individual and the community and also provide opportunities for residents to participate in community activities.

Owners' Corporation: An owners' corporation is a legal entity formed under the Building Management Ordinance by the owners of a private building. Owners' corporations are statutory bodies vested with certain legal powers to facilitate the management of a building. At the end of March 2015, there were 10 069 owners' corporations throughout Hong Kong, among which 8 085 were formed with the assistance of the district offices.