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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
motion and the Liberal Party's amended motion that no more money will be wasted on useless visits in the current term. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese): - Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): - In accordance with Standing Order 21(12A), would Mr. CHEUNG Yu-yan, the mover of the amended motion, move his amendment and speak?
(1)(b) Mr. Tommy Cheung Yu-yan moved an amendment under Standing Order 21(12A) as follows:—
Since the Provisional Urban Council is facing a deficit crisis, RESOLVED that the Council do not organize any Composite Overseas Study Visits in the years 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01 in order to save expenses.'
He said (in Cantonese): - Mr. Chairman, when I moved the amendment to the motion, I was already aware that no Composite Overseas Study Visits had been conducted by the Council for the past two years. Since no such visits were conducted in the past two years, I consider it is quite pointless for Mr. HUNG Chung-fun to put forth a motion barring overseas visits for only one year. At the same time, being aware that the Council will be having a deficit of some $3b in the next three years, I consider an amendment should be made to bar anymore overseas study visits in the next three years. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHAN BING-WOON (in Cantonese): - Mr. Chairman, I second the motion, but I wish to clarify one point. Just now Mr. Hung Chung-fun said he supported the Liberal Party's amended motion. I wish to state here that I am non-partisan.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): - I will have this corrected in the minutes of meeting. Mr. Chan Bing-woon is not affiliated with any political party.
MR. ALBERT LAI WING-LIN (in Cantonese): - Mr. Chairman, I am the Chairman of the Overseas Visits Sub-Committee of the Administration Select Committee. In fact, the Sub-Committee has been consulting various committees on the issue of overseas visits. From the response we have obtained, none of them is keen about this.
I have never joined any Composite Overseas Study Visit or duty visit of the Council and therefore I am a rather suitable person to be the Chairman of the Sub-Committee. However, as the matter is still under consultation and it is necessary to obtain information about duty visits from various committees, I hereby move a procedural motion under Standing Order 21(15)(J) that Mr. HUNG Chung-fun's original motion and Mr. CHEUNG Yu-yan's amended
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