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Constitution and Administration
explanations, evidence or information in the performance of the committee's duties. The seven members of the committee are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with the election procedure determined by the House Committee.
During the 2011-2012 session, the committee held five public hearings and 18 internal meetings and examined the Director of Audit's Report on the Accounts of the Government for the year ended 31 March 2011 and the reports on the results of Value-for-Money Audits (reports numbers 57 and 58). The committee's conclusions and recommendations are contained in the committee's reports numbers 57 and 58, which were tabled in the Legislative Council on 15 February 2012 and 4 July 2012 respectively. The Government Minutes in response to the two reports were tabled in the council on 16 May 2012 and 24 October 2012 respectively.
Committee on Rules of Procedure
The Committee on Rules of Procedure is responsible for reviewing the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council and its committee system, and for proposing to the council any amendments or changes considered necessary. The committee consists of 12 members who are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with an election procedure determined by the House Committee.
During the 2011-2012 session, the committee held six meetings and studied a number of issues related to the procedural arrangements for council meetings and council committee procedures.
Committee on Members' Interests
The Committee on Members' Interests consists of seven members who are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with the election procedure determined by the House Committee. It considers complaints made in relation to members' registration and declaration of interests and in relation to members' claims for the reimbursement of operating expenses or applications for advances of operating funds. It also examines arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests, considers matters of ethics in relation to members' conduct, and provides advice and issues guidelines on such matters.
During the 2011-2012 session, the committee held two closed meetings to consider complaints against seven members and four open meetings to consider various issues. These included a review of the existing mechanisms for handling complaints against members and the committee's complaints handling procedure. The committee also proposed changes to the members' interests registration requirements and the Registration Form on Members' Interests and, with the support of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and the House Committee, the Chairman of the committee moved a motion to amend the relevant rules for implementation of the changes. Though put on the Legislative Council's agenda for the meeting of 11 July 2012, no decision was reached before the prorogation of the Fourth Legislative Council. The matter will be reported to the Committee on Members' Interests of the Fifth Legislative Council for its consideration. The committee also consulted all members on a proposal to appoint an independent commissioner to handle complaints against members. The proposal and the
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