CONFIDENTIAL
112453
MDLIAN 7807
5. THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM AGREED BY MEMBERS IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION WAS IMPLEMENTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SESSION. THIS INVOLVED REPLACING THE INFORMAL LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETINGS BY FORMALISED HOUSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND FORMING BILLS COMMITTEES FOR THE SCRUTINY OF BILLS.
6. A DECISION ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INFORMAL OMELCO PANELS WAS DEFERRED IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION. MEMBERS EVENTUALLY AGREED THAT THE EXISTING PANEL SYSTEM TO MONITOR GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES SHOULD ALSO BE FORMALISED AS LEGCO PANELS WITH SIMILAR FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURE. THIS WILL BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT SESSION. THERE ARE NOW 17 PANELS AND A NEW ONE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS WILL BE ESTABLISHED NEXT SESSION. THE PANELS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN THE PAST YEAR, WITH INTEREST RANGING FROM MAJOR POLICY ISSUES TO TOPICAL ISSUES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC POLICIES.
7. ALL MEETINGS OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE AND VIRTUALLY ALL MEETINGS OF RILLS COMMITTEES, PANELS AND OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES ARE NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WHILE INCREASING THE TRANSPARENCY OF LEGCO, THERE IS THE INEVITABLE TENDENCY FOR MORE POLITICAL POSTURING AT THESE MEETINGS. NONETHELESS, THE NEW COMMITTEE SYSTEM HAS GENERALLY OPERATED SMOOTHLY.
PROCEDURAL IMPROVEMENTS
8. MEMBERS HAVE DISPLAYED GREATER COMFORT WITH LEGCO OPERATION AND PROCEDURES. THERE WERE STILL OCCASIONAL BICKERING OVER TRIVIALITIES BUT COUNCIL BUSINESS WAS TRANSACTED GENERALLY MORE SMOOTHLY THAN THE PREVIOUS SESSION. THERE WERE SEVERAL
. IMPROVEMENTS TO RULES AND PROCEDURES, SUCH AS IMPOSING TIME LIMIT
ON SPEECHES IN DEBATES, LONGER NOTICE PERIOD FOR QUESTIONS AND
MOTIONS.
INDEPENDENT LEGCO SECRETARIAT
9. DURING THE YEAR MEMBERS HAVE FINALISED THEIR PLAN FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT SECRETARIAT TO SERVICE
LEGCO MEMBERS. DETAILS OF A SEPARATE PACKAGE FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF LEGCO'S OWN STAFF HAVE NOW BEEN AGREED AND THE NEW SECRETARIAT WILL FORMALLY COME INTO OPERATION ON 1 APRIL 1994. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN ENHANCING THE INDEPENDENT IMAGE OF LEGCO. ALL EXISTING CIVIL SERVANTS ON SECONDMENT TO LEGCO WILL BE WITHDRAWN OVER A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW SECRETARIAT.
LEGISLATION
10. A TOTAL OF 98 BILLS WERE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO. EIGHTY-FOUR
2
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL