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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. BERNACCHI:-In that role, I was on the Council when the present Standing Orders were drafted; in fact, I was one of the drafters, and one of the duties of the Standing Orders Select Committee was clearly designed to, in effect, consider rulings from the chair, which cannot be challenged in open meeting, so I give it as my belief that the request made by Mr. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN is in order, that this matter should be referred to the Standing Orders Select Committee.

CHAIRMAN: The Ordinance is quite clear on this subject Mr. BERNACCHI. The Governor appoints the Registration Officer and the Registration Officer is the Commissioner of Registration.

MR. BERNACCHI:-I am not saying that your ruling is wrong, or indeed that your ruling is right, but I am just saying that the Standing Orders Select Committee was designed, inter alia, for considering the rulings of the chair given at open meetings.

CHAIRMAN:-I would like to consider this Mr. BERNACCHI. The ruling to me is quite clear and so is the Ordinance but I shall consider your point.

MR. BERNACCHI:-My supplementary itself-(laughter) has the Education Department lists of those who succeeded in the Schools Certificate Examination for the years, say, 1950 to 1962?

CHAIRMAN:-I am afraid I have no idea, Mr. BERNACCHI. This is quite a new matter again.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Well, it arises at least out of your answer-

CHAIRMAN: It's not a question of arising out of my answer, but out of the original question.

MR. BERNACCHI:-I know but if that assumption is correct, namely the Education Department has lists, the question of automatic registration is at least possible.

DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, my second supplementary question is is it possible for you to convey to Government my feeling, or my opinion, that Government has shown in the past that they did not want any local constitutional reform-

CHAIRMAN:-It is out of order, Dr. BELL.

DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I haven't finished the question (laughter)—any local constitutional reform to take place and by appointing a Commissioner of Registration to gather the electoral roll in the manner in which it's being done, they are furthering only the interests of themselves in that the figures are totally inaccurate and are made to look as if only a very small proportion of people who are eligible, in their opinion, to vote in Hong Kong actually come forward to vote.

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MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, may I ask you one supplementary (laughter).

CHAIRMAN:-I've already ruled that question out of order Dr. BELL.

MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, I deplore the way that the opposite sex is trying to dominate the proceedings in this Council this afternoon.

DR. BELL:-But I asked if you could convey it to Government- Is the answer that you cannot convey to Government or I cannot ask the question.

CHAIRMAN:-The question does not arise.

DR. BELL:-It does arise out of the original question.

MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, I deplore that there is no equality of treatment in this Council.

MR. HU:-Thank you Mr. SALES. (Laughter). Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask you one big supplementary question, although I will accept your advice if you think I am out of order. My question, perhaps you would permit me to ask three supplementary questions, one with regard to question No. 1, (laughter), one with regard to question No. 4 and one with regard to question No. 5. First of all I should apologise Mr. Chairman that I could not ask these questions personally and I am grateful to Mr. BROOK BERNACCHI for asking them for me, Secondly I ask this big supplementary question, being encouraged by Mr. SALES (laughter). I will limit myself to three supplementaries --if you think it is within your discretion you allow me to ask them.

CHAIRMAN:-They may have already been asked Mr. Hu, but anyway let's hear what you have to say.

MR. HU:-My first question is that with regard to question No. 1. Having read the good answer from Mr. ASERAPPA, I would suggest that while we are grateful to the voluntary agencies for their efforts for the vocational or training education, is it not necessary for having some kind of co-operation: That is my first supplementary.

CHAIRMAN:-How do you mean co-operation Mr. Hu?

MR. HU: Co-ordination.

CHAIRMAN:-Co-ordination?

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