| LCQ12: Population in constituencies for District Councils elections |
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Following is a question by the Hon Dr Tang Siu-tong and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, in the Legislative Council meeting today (July 3):
Question: Will the Government inform this Council of the estimated population, as at June 30 next year, in each of the 390 constituencies demarcated by the Electoral Affairs Commission in 1999 for the first District Councils elections? Reply: Madam President, The latest forecast shows that the territorial population will reach 6.88 million as at June 30, 2003. The breakdown by the 18 districts is at Annex. Based on the projection of the territorial population, the Planning Department has produced population forecasts at street block levels(*) as at June 30, 2003. These forecasts will be used by the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) to formulate delineation proposals on constituency boundaries for the second term District Council (DC) elections. In order to ensure that the EAC can continue to operate in an independent and impartial manner when formulating its delineation proposals, we consider that it would be more appropriate to follow the past practice of releasing the population forecasts when EAC publishes its draft delineation proposals for public consultation in September 2002. Releasing the population forecasts prior to the EAC publishing its draft delineation proposals may lead to speculations on how constituency boundaries are to be delineated for the second term DC elections. (*) Street blocks are the basic geographical units adopted in the forecast exercise of the Planning Department. The whole land area of Hong Kong is divided into about 4 600 street blocks following grids of streets. Each of the existing 390 constituency areas is made up of a number of street blocks. End/Wednesday, July 3, 2002. NNNN Annex ***** Population Distribution by 18 Districts as of June 30, 2003 District.......................Population forecasts as of June 30, 2003 --------.........................------------------------------------------------- Central and Western ..............251 700 Eastern ..................................600 300 Kowloon City........................369 100 Kwun Tong............................583 400 Sham Shui Po..........................347 600 Southern..................................284 600 Wan Chai................................153 100 Wong Tai Sin...........................450 900 Yau Tsim Mong .....................260 200 Islands.....................................113 500 Kwai Tsing.............................510 600 North .....................................296 300 Sai Kung ................................376 500 Sha Tin....................................636 600 Tai Po .................................... 306 700 Tsuen Wan..............................266 700 Tuen Mun...............................527 200 Yuen Long...............................542 600 ---------...................................------------ Total .................................... 6 877 600 |