An offrired
(c)
(d)
2
changes to procedure to place less emphasis on the more formal and less interesting business of the Council;
changes to Standing Orders required by (a), (b) and (c), and to remove any anomalies or deficiencies in present procedure.
Organisation of the Report
4
The report is divided into three principal sections: paragraphs 8 to 26 on committee work; paragraphs 27 to 40 on debate and paragraphs 41 to 54 on minor recommendations. There is a summary of principal recommendations at paragraph 6 and a summary of minor recommendations at paragraph 7. Possible resource implications are at paragraph 56.
Composition of the Working Group
5
The Working Group comprised the Director/Councils and Administration Branch (Chairman), the Law Draftsman, the Secretary-General/UMELCO, the Assistant Director/Councils, the Deputy Clerk of Councils and the Assistant Secretary/ Councils (Secretary). The Working Group held ten meetings.
Summary of major recommendations
6
The principal observations and recommendations of this Report are -
(a)
(b)
@@
(c)
there is some scope for batching the amended clauses of a bill in its
committee stage (paragraph 10);
third readings of bills might be batched to save undue repetition (paragraph 11);
select committees to deal with bills should be established with a majority
of Unofficials and chaired by Unofficials (paragraph 16);
(d)
select committees should normally hold their initial meetings in private, but their final sessions in public (paragraph 18);
(e)
for a trial period initially, suitable bills should be referred to select committees (paragraph 22);