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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
MR. ALBERT LAI WING-LIN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I believe that no one objects to the first sentence of the motion, that is, strengthening the monitoring on the implementation of the policies, but the problem is that this is going to be achieved by having the Director of Urban Services answering all the questions at the monthly meetings on behalf of all the Select Committees. Some may argue that they don't mean so and that they are only asking the Director to answer our questions while matters handled by the Select Committees will continue to be responded to by the respective Chairmen. However, I am sure that if there was an answering session for the Director, all the questions would be directed to her. The Chairmen of the other Committees could by all means take a rest.
In fact, raising questions at the monthly meetings is not always as effective as raising questions and making in-depth consultation at the meetings of the respective Select Committees, where explanations are provided by the relevant divisions of the Department and answers given by the officers in complete charge of a specific case or incident. There is basically no difference between having the Director answering the questions and having the Chairmen of the Select Committees doing so. The only difference probably is a female or male voice. (This is because most Chairmen of the Select Committees are male. Please don't misunderstand me. There is no sex discrimination. Please don't laugh.)
I therefore do not support the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have been a member of the Urban Council for 12 years. When I first joined the Council, there were already monthly meetings. Most of the meetings then were private sessions and this was the only meeting which was considered to be more transparent by the public. With the development of democracy, the other meetings have also changed. At present, 90% of the meetings of the Select Committees and the Sub-Committees are open to the public, at which queries concerning the Department and Council are being answered by the Chairmen of these Committees. I therefore wonder whether there is really a need to require the Chairmen of the Select Committees to put up a show by answering questions at the monthly meetings, let alone requiring the Director to do so.
Mr. Chairman, I therefore have reservation about providing a question-and-answer session for the Director of Urban Services at the monthly meetings. Thank you.
MR. TAM KWOK-KIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, concerning the spirit of the motion, I am sure Members who are present all agree that the Council could step up supervision over the Department's implementation of its policies but Councillors who are members of the ADP are opposed to the contents of the motion for two reasons.
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