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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
603
Chairman (in Cantonese):-No more Members wish to speak. Mr. LAI Hok-Lim, as the mover, would you please exercise your right of reply?
Mr. Lai Hok-Lim (in Cantonese):-We can see that there are two major reasons for objection. The first one is that the monthly meetings are not the appropriate forum because of time constraint and detailed arrangements. We consider this reason for objection of the DAB to be invalid, because these problems, if they are problems at all, also exist in the monthly meetings. If such is the case, why don't we simply let the Select Committees follow up on all the issues?
Mr. Ronnie WONG has rightly pointed out the core of the problem. The monthly meetings of the Council have become a formality. With the passage of time, changes are necessary. If we thought complacently that in simply attending the monthly meetings and reading out the answers on the papers, we are leading the Department, we would be very wrong. It is only an illusion. Are we really leading them and are they really obeying our instructions? That is not the case at all.
I think we should come round and make good use of this forum to allow all the people of Hong Kong a chance to see how the Council monitors the Department's operation. The only specific reason for objection heard so far is, "We must after all uphold our dignity. The Council is a decision-maker and we formulate all the policies. The attendance of the Director would undermine this mechanism."
May I ask Members a question? Have we lost confidence in ourselves? Does the additional (note the word 'additional') attendance of the Director mean that the Select Committees would no longer be required to answer questions? It is not the case. Committee Chairmen would still be required to answer questions concerning policies, and we consider it ridiculous for a representative institution with decision-making power not to be provided with any open channel to monitor the performance of its principal executive officer in executing its decisions. Nevertheless, whether Members who are present today are for or against the motion, we consider that they should at least appreciate the spirit of the motion, which is 'to strengthen monitoring of the Department's performance in implementing the Council's policies'.
It is likely that the motion will not be carried, but I hope that the Chairman will take the initiative to consider a question-and-answer session for the Director at the meetings of the Standing Committee so that we may monitor the Director's performance in implementing the Council's policies. Thank you all.
The question was put.
The motion was defeated with 13 for, 25 against and 1 abstention.
(The record of voting on Mr. Lai Hok-lim's motion is at Annex II)
Page 613 of 654
Page 613 of 654