CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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Altogether, 145 oral and 815 supplementary questions on a wide range of topics were raised during the 39 sittings in 1993–94. In addition, 449 written questions were sent to the administration for reply.
The council normally meets in public on Wednesdays for the transaction of normal council business. Also, about once a month, the Governor addresses or answers questions from members at a special sitting. At present, all Legislative Council sittings and most meetings of its bills committees, sub-committees and panels are open to the public. The increased transparency of the Legislative Council has helped promote better awareness and understanding of the constitutional role and functions of the council.
The council operates four standing committees -the Finance Committee, the House Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Members' Interests.
Finance Committee
Before October 1, 1994, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council consisted of the Chief Secretary as the chairman, the Financial Secretary and 56 non-government members of the council. A new Finance Committee chairman and deputy chairman were elected among non-government members on October 3 for the 1994-95 Legislative Council session. The Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary, as ex-officio members of the council, remain committee members until the dissolution of the council in 1995.
The Finance Committee scrutinises public expenditure, both at special meetings held in March to examine the draft estimates of expenditure for the year ahead, and at regular meetings, held between October and July, at which members consider proposals which entail changes to the provisions agreed upon by the council in the estimates each year, or note financial implications of new policies. Both the special and regular meetings are held in public.
The Finance Committee has two sub-committees: the Establishment Subcommittee and the Public Works Subcommittee, which also meet in public.
The Establishment Subcommittee consists of 22 non-government members of the council. It examines the administration's proposals for the creation, redeployment and deletion of permanent and supernumerary posts remunerated from the directorate pay scales, and changes to the structure of civil service ranks and grades (including pay scales, new grades and new ranks); and makes recommendations on such proposals to the Finance Committee for approval. It also reports to the Finance Committee on the size and cost of the civil service and the changes in departmental establishments. The terms of reference of the Establishment Subcommittee were extended during the year to include the creation of directorate-level consultancy positions for periods lasting more than 12 months.
The Public Works Subcommittee formerly consisted of the Financial Secretary as the chairman and 32 non-government members of the council. Since April 1, it consists of 35 non-government members, who elect the chairman and deputy chairman from among themselves. The Financial Secretary remained an ex-officio member until the end of the 1993-94 Legislative Council session. The sub-committee examines the administration's proposals for the upgrading of projects to, or downgrading from, Category A of the Public Works Programme, or changes to the scope and approved project estimates of projects already in that category. It makes recommendations on such proposals to the Finance Committee for approval.
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