11
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The Working Group also noted that there was possibly less need for prepared speeches during adjournment debates, particularly if the President used his power of discretion under Standing Order 9(6) to waive the requirement for seven clear days' notice of the raising of a matter. Recognition of this, and thus the prospect of an impromptu reply from the responsible official member, might oreate more interest in making use of adjournment
debates. But the Working Group felt that even under the present conventions adjournment debates provided considerable scope for spontaneous debate of which more use could be made.
Motions
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The Working Group also considered the scope for greater debate as the result of motions being put by Unofficials under Standing Orders 21 to 26. A list of motions moved during the past 60 years is at Appendix III. The conclusion reached was that, as with adjournment debates, present Standing Orders provided all the scope necessary for debate. It was noted that there had been some very lively debates on motions in the past, but it could not be said that they had become a regular feature
of Legislative Council proceedings. The Working Group felt that motions, not having the time limit applied to adjournment debates, were particularly appropriate for matters of major public interest on which a significant number of members wished to speak.
.
The use of Cantonese in debate
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The Working Group recommends that more use be made by members of Cantonese since this is the language used by the majority of the public, and more use of it in the Legislative Council should generate greater public interest in the proceedings. Simultaneous interpretation, however good, cannot hope to capture the original colour and flavour of the speaker's own words.
MINOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The six o'clock rule
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Under Standing Order 8(2), the proceedings on any business in Council should be interrupted at 6 p.m., unless the President is of the opinion that the proceedings could be concluded by a short deferment of the moment of interruption, in which case he may in his discretion de fer interrupting the business.
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A slight confusion has arisen in the past when at 6 p.m. with proceedings still continuing, the Chief Secretary who is entrusted with the task of moving the suspension of Standing Order 8(2), has no way of determining categorically whether the President "is of the opinion that the proceedings could be concluded by a short deferment of the moment of interruption". If the President happened to be not of that opinion and if the Chief Secretary waited for (say) 15
minutes before interrupting the business, then this deferment would technically not be in order.