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Following is the speech (Translation) by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, in moving the resolution for the approval of the District Councils Ordinance(Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2006 in the Legislative Council today (June 21):
Madam President,
I wish to move the resolution to approve the District Councils Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2006. The aim of this subsidiary legislation is to put the entire Nob Hill, a private residential development, into Sham Shui Po District, to enable the residents in Nob Hill to be included into the same constituency for the 2007 District Council Election.
Nob Hill currently straddles Sham Shui Po District and Kwai Tsing District and its residents have come under two different constituencies in the 2003 District Council Election and the 2004 Legislative Council Election. We consider that the anomaly should be rectified as soon as practicable, before the 2007 District Council Election.
We consulted the Sham Shui Po District Council, Kwai Tsing District Council and the residents of Nob Hill in February and March this year. The majority view of the residents supported the inclusion of Nob Hill into Sham Shui Po District.
The Chief Executive in Council made this Order at its meeting on May 9, 2006. The Legco House Committee has considered the Order at its meeting on June 16, 2006, and decided that there is no need to form a Sub-committee on Subsidiary Legislation to examine the Order.
Subject to the approval of the Order by the Legislative Council today, the Electoral Affairs Commission will proceed with the demarcation of constituency boundaries for the 2007 District Councils election having regard to the revised district boundaries of Sham Shui Po District and Kwai Tsing District.
May I ask Members to approve the Order to enable the proposal to amend the district boundaries be implemented.
Thank you, Madam President.
Ends/Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:35
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