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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as you have said in introducing this motion, all Members have full opportunities to discuss finance matters at various levels of the Council's discussions, at the Select Committee level in so far as the responsibility of each Select Committee is concerned, and also at the Standing Committee of the Whole. I would say that particularly at the Standing Committee of the Whole level, there is full scope for any Member who wishes to discuss finance considerations in regard to activities of any Select Committee, that Member can raise the matter in the Standing Committee of the Whole and it can be discussed and any questions raised and answered, either by the Select Committee Chairman or a full answer could be prepared by the Department providing whatever information is not immediately available at the time of discussion. Also any matter concerning finance which a Member would wish to refer to the Finance Select Committee for investigation, any suggestion which is put forward to the Finance Select Committee would at all times be fully considered. I think that this opportunity should not be forgotten by Members, it is there at all times and I would suggest that all Members should take the opportunity to exercise this right fully.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-May I exercise my right of reply before putting the motion to you. First, please be assured that it breaks my heart at any time to rule your questions out of order, (Laughter) particularly when those questions are put by such a charming colleague as Miss YEUNG. I was advised that it would not be within my powers to accept those questions. In fact, I asked: not even the question mark? (Laughter) They said no, even the question mark was out of order. So I had to say no.
Here I would like to record that, in fact, we are bound by the Ordinance and the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements. These provisions were discussed for the better part of a year by a Committee under the distinguished chairmanship of Mr. BERNACCHI. So, since the time when that Committee advised the Council to accept the draft provisions of both the Ordinance and the Administrative Arrangements, and the Council did so we became honour bound to live up to them. Now, in our actual work, if we find any requirement to be irksome, then it is up to us to start negotiation for an amendment.
It is true that a very great part of our expenditure goes towards personal emoluments; yet, the Urban Services Department is a part of the Government, and so its particular position is integrated in the Government structure covering the whole Civil Service. Hence, the Government cannot deal with our specific cases unilaterally. We can only make representations. And, if Members feel that we ought to do so, then let us act only after careful discussion in the relevant Select Committee. Thus, if we feel that any part of the Ordinance or any article of the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements needs to be changed, let us consider how to do so and make representations accordingly. This is the mature way for us to proceed.
We would all
No one has a monopoly of compassion, for sure. like to see our staff better paid; should it be possible for us, were we a commercial enterprise, to award our staff a bonus on performance and the result of this year's accounts, I am quite sure that we would In practice, have voted for it, but it is beyond our powers to do so. let us then work within this twin arrangement: the Ordinance and, more importantly for our day-to-day work, the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements. Therefore, before I put this motion to you, I would like to ask our dear colleague, Mr. BERNACCHI, to reconsider the last part of his statement, because it is futile not to vote for the adoption of the annual accounts just because one hasn't got a say in awarding salary increases. That's a separate matter altogether. So let us be mature; let us consider the two statements before you, and vote on the motion regardless of the other matter which is not material today. I have now exercised my right of reply. It only remains for me to put the motion to the vote.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 18 votes for and 3 abstentions.
(2) MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion (in English):
"RESOLVED that the Library (Amendment) By-laws, 1974 be made under Section 105(L) of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132."
She said: Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, I rise on the motion standing in my name.
The decision to establish a gramophone record and tape library was taken back in 1962, but the consensus of opinion at that time was that, rather than start a service outright, the stock should gradually
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