We have reconsidered the matter and recommend that the legislative route should now be pursued through the draft Bill at Annex B So that the system of salary and allowances for Legislative Council members can be clearly set out in law and So that, subject to certain references to price increases (e.g. Consumer Price Index, see paragraph 13), the Legislative Council willbe able to regulate the pay and allowances of its members by resolution. This is in line with our wish to enhance the Legislative Council's status and to make members more accountable to the public. It is worth noting that in the UK,
the House of Commons determines salaries and allowances for MPs by resolution.
Multiple membership
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For obvious reasons Members will be eligible for the same salaries and allowances as Legislative Council members. We do not propose to change the existing arrangements for payments in the case of multiple membership, i.e. those serving on both the Executive and Legislative Councils will be eligible for one payment only.
It may be necessary to review this arrangement when a decision is taken involving certain members serving on both the Executive Council and the Legislative Council more actively in specified policy areas. Executive Council / Legislative Council members with multiple membership in the Municipal Councils or the district boards will continue to be entitled
their Executive Council / Legislative Council allowance and two thirds of the allowances for which they are eligible in the Municipal Councils and the district boards.
These
Other special cases
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The Senior Member of the Legislative Council or the Executive Council will be eligible for a special additional allowance, equivalent to the salary of a Legislative Council member only as for obvious reasons it would not be appropriate for the general expenses allowance to be repeated in the calculation of the special allowance. As regards the Deputy President of the Legislative Council, we intend to provide him with an office, secretarial support, and an official car and chauffeur, as well as executive support from the Clerk to the Legislative Council. Thus we propose that the Deputy President should only be eligible for a salary twice the amount payable to a Legislative Council members, together with a special entertainment allowance enabling him to receive guests and visitors on behalf of the Legislative Council in his official capacity. The latter allowance will be considered separately.
CONFIDENTIAL