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5
from 18
Official Members has been significantly reduced from
to 10.
As a result, the Official Members remaining on
the Council have not only had to shoulder a larger
workload, due to the general increase in the volume of
Council business referred
referred to in paragraph 4 above, but,
in several cases, have had to assume responsibility in
Council for issues outside their own
areas of
V
if its heavy
responsibility. If the Legislative Council is to continue
to work efficiently and, in particular,
programme of legislation is
to
be dealt with
expeditiously, it is essential that all relevant areas of
the Administration's
represented in Council.
responsibilities are adequately
8.
in the
M: 997
In the longer term, the position of Officials 7?
Legislative Council must be determined in
accordance with the provision in Annex I to the Joint
legislature of the Hong Kong
Declaration "that the
Special Administrative Region shall be
elections".
ada di Sarme
constituted by
of
the withdrawal
But, in the meantime
Official Members would amount to a radical change to our
system of government and a major departure from the
present practice. It would weaken the link between the
Administration and the Legislative Council, which is an
important element in the official conduct of government
business. It would also weaken the relationship between
the Council and the key advisory bodies
government officials
which both
and members of the public are
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