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NOTE 2
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THE EXECUTIVE
1.
Paper I of May 1986 described how the present governmental
institutions in Hong Kong operate in practice and the
inter-relationship of the various elements in the government
structure, in particular the Governor, the Executive Council and the
Legislative Council.
2.
Insofar as the exercise of the Government's executive
authority and responsibilities, under the authority of HMG, is
concerned, the essential features of the present system as it
functions in practice are that
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a)
(e)
A
the Executive Council advises the Governor, who is in
general required to consult it on important matters of
policy;
members tender their advice individually but the Governor
acts on the advice of the Executive Council as a whole;
the decisions of the Governor in Council (in effect the
Governor and members of the Executive Council acting together) are presented as collective decisions;
apart from the ex-officio members specified in the royal
instructions, members of the Council are appointed for fixed
periods by the Governor under the authority of The Queen;
the majority of members are "unofficials", i.e. not public
servants;
(£)
the public service, through officials of secretary rank, presents policy proposals to the Executive Council for decision. These officials are then responsible for
directing the implementation of the decisions of the
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