sir,
UMELCO
DRAFT SPEECH BY HON MARIA TAM, OBE, JP
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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9.7.86
I beg to move the motion standing in my name in the
order paper.
Standing Order No. 14 provides for Members of this
Council to present papers and to address the Council thereon. The main purpose of the proposed amendment is to extend the scope of Standing Order No. 14 to enable Members, with the consent of the President, to address this Council on subsidiary
legislation tabled at that particular sitting or at any of the
three sittings immediately preceding that sitting. This is
intended to rectify the present situation in which Members other than ex-officio or Official Members can only speak on
such legislation if a resolution to amend is moved or if the
legislation is made the subject of a motion for debate or an adjournment debate.
We have, however, come across subsidiary legislation
which enactment enhances not only the activities of a sector of
our community but also the position of Hong Kong as a financial
centre of the world e.g. the rules and regulations under the
Securities Ordinance Cap. 333 or under the Unified Stock
Exchange Ordinance Cap. 361, or that it affects the interest of
a vital section of our economic activities, such as the effect
of the regulations of the control of water pollution to
industry. Under these circumstances, we believe it is
appropriate to draw attention to the implications of such
subsidiary legislation; or to explain the necessary balance struck between protecting the sectoral interest as well as
public interest. With the amendment proposed in this motion,
we shall be able to do so without the aforementioned
restrictions.
Sir, I beg to move.
UMELCO