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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985
PUBLIC MEETINGS +ONLY RIGHT+
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SIR PHILIP
AS ANOTHER MAJOR STEP TOWARDS MORE OPEN GOVERNMENT, IT WAS ONLY RIGHT THAT REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE HELD IN PUBLIC, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID TODAY.
MOVING A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE STANDING ORDERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR PHILIP SAID THE RESOLUTION, TO TAKE EFFECT ON MARCH 13, WOULD ENABLE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT ALL ITS MEETINGS IN PUBLIC, UNLESS THE CHAIRMAN ORDERED OTHERWISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY DECISIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.
TRACING RECENT AMENDMENTS TO THE STANDING ORDERS, SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT THEY HAD BEEN AMENDED IN 1983 TO PERMIT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO SIT IN PUBLIC TO EXAMINE THE DRAFT ANNUAL ESTIMATES BEFORE THE APPROPRIATION BILL WAS CONSIDERED IN. COMMITTEE OF THE. WHOLE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HE SAID FURTHER CHANGES HAD THEN BEEN MADE IN 1984, TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD ITS HEARINGS IN PUBLIC.
+ I AM SURE THAT MEMBERS WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS HELD LAST YEAR IN MARCH BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND IN NOVEMBER BY THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE WERE WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, HE SAID.
IT WAS THEREFORE ONLY RIGHT THAT REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND NOT JUST THOSE MEETINGS AT WHICH THE DRAFT ANNUAL ESTIMATES WERE CONSIDERED, SHOULD BE HELD IN PUBLIC AS WELL, SIR PHILIP SAID.
+FOR CONFIDENTIAL ITEMS, THE COMMITTEE WILL STILL MEET IN PRIVATE AND THE RESOLUTION RECOGNISES THIS.
+THE OPPORTUNITY HAS ALSO BEEN TAKEN TO CORRECT A CROSS REFERENCE IN STANDING ORDER 60 WHICH CONCERNS THE APPOINTMENT OF A CLERK TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, HE SAID.
THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, SIR ROGER LOBO ON BEHALF OF HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES PLACED ON RECORD THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE STANDING ORDERS.
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