CONFIDENTIAL
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4.
A number of other changes were made in 1985 to enhance the status of LegCo. The Council, which had previously met in the Government Secretariat, acquired its own separate premises in the former Supreme Court building in Central. To cope with the expected increase in business, its meetings began to be held weekly rather than fortnightly. Its supporting staff was significantly increased (from 95 to 178). At the same time, weekly "in-house" meetings of the appointed and elected members were instituted to discuss and co-ordinate the business of LegCo. In these meetings, from which the official members are excluded, issues which members wish to pursue are considered; "ad hoc groups" are formed to scrutinize bills or to keep an eye on areas of public concern (such as the Vietnamese boat people problem); the questions to be tabled at the next meeting of the Council are agreed; and attempts are made to reach a common view on contentious issues.
5.
The overall effect of these various changes has been to give LegCo a higher profile in the community and to emphasize its separateness from the administration. Now, after almost 3 years experience of the new system, LegCo has developed a quite distinct. identity. Many of its members have become significant. political figures in their own right. The processing of government business in LegCo now requires a great deal of time and consultation. The Government often has to work hard, not always successfully, to obtain a consensus. Even when the Government wins the vote (as so far in this session it always has) significant opposition, as on the Public Order (Amendment) Bill, tends to be regarded as a symbolic defeat. We are seeing signs of the development of embryo political groupings. All this is a far cry from the cosy and predictable proceedings of the wholly appointed Councils of even a few years ago.
Government from a Minority Position
It
6.
These developments underline the fact that the Hong Kong Government is in effect a minority one. can only depend on the support of the 10 officials among the 56 members of LegCo. Contrary to popular myth, the Government does not give instructions to the 24 appointed members. Indeed, the appointed members are in many ways closer to their elected colleagues than to the administration. They are all serviced by the same Secretariat, and the Council's ad hoc groups consist only of appointed and elected members. Only non- officials attend the in-house meetings. The most significant distinction in LegCo is now between the 10 official members and the 46 non-officials. This distinction always existed. But it is now much more obvious, and much more significant, with so few official members and a shift in the balance of power between the two groups.
/A point of
CONFIDENTIAL