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(B) INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS AFTER
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE STARTED: AND
(C) FORMAL BRIEFINGS BY HKG TO LEGCO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER
JLG AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN REACHED.
OUR THOUGHTS ON HOW SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT MIGHT OPERATE ARE
SET OUT BELOW.
OMELCO PANEL SYSTEM.
6.
IN PREVIOUS LEGCO'S A PANEL SYSTEM HAS OPERATED WHEREBY POLICY SECRETARIES ATTEND BEFORE A PANEL CHARGED WITH EXAMINING MATTERS WITHIN THEIR PORTFOLIO. THE PANELS HAVE TENDED TO FOCUS ON LEGISLATIVE AND FINANCIAL PROPOSALS, BUT HAVE ALSO DISCUSSED OTHER POLICY PROPOSALS OR MATTERS OF CONCERN. THE PANEL SYSTEM PROVED TO BE A GOOD LINK BETWEEN OMELCO AND THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE NEW LEGCO CONTINUES WITH IT, OR REPLACES IT BY ANOTHER ARRANGEMENT SUCH AS STANDING COMMITTEES.
7. WE PROPOSE TO USE THE PANEL SYSTEM OR ITS REPLACEMENT TO CONSULT MEMBERS ON (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) HKG POLICY ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS IN ADVANCE OF NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCING IN THE JLG. THIS WOULD BE DONE BY RELEVANT POLICY SECRETARIES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE PANELS/COMMITTEES, RATHER THAN BY A PANEL SET UP SPECIFICALLY TO EXAMINE JLG SUBJECTS. THIS APPROACH HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF INSTIGATING A RELATIVELY LOW PROFILE DIALOGUE WITH LEGCO. JLG SUBJECTS WOULD NOT BE DESCIBRED AS SUCH, BUT WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN THE CONTEXT OF A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF HKG POLICY.
8. WE WILL NEED TO JUDGE CAREFULLY THE SUBJECTS ON WHICH TO CONSULT THE PANELS/COMMITTEES. CLEARLY, A SENSITIVE SUBJECT SUCH AS DEFENCE LANDS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE: WE COULD NOT TELL THEM THE FULL SCOPE OF OUR OBJECTIVES AND THERE WOULD BE A DANGER THAT WHATEVER WE DID REVEAL TO THEM WOULD BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. WE WOULD ALSO NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE COULD NOT REVEAL TO THE PANEL DETAILS OF JLG NEGOTIATIONS, AND THAT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION WE COULD GIVE THEM AFTER NEGOTIATIONS HAD COMMENCED WOULD BY NECESSITY BE VERY LIMITED.
INFORMAL BRIEFINGS.
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