WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985
10
PUBLIC VIEWS CONSIDERED BY AD HOC GROUP
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL 1985 HAS ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC SINCE ITS PUBLICATION, THE HON FRANCIS TIEN SAID IN THE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, HE SAID VARIOUS GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT IT,
+THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP UNDER THE CONVENERSHIP OF MISS MARIA TAM HAS STUDIED THE BILL THOROUGHLY AND CONSIDERED THE VARIOUS VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE PUBLIC.
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+AS A RESULT, A SERIES OF AMENDMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE MADE TO THE BILL, HE SAID.
MR TIEN SAID THE AMENDMENTS WOULD BE PUBLISHED IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE THIS COMING FRIDAY AND THE PUBLIC COULD FURTHER COMMENT ON THEM.
+HAVING EXAMINED THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, AS WELL AS CONSIDERED FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS BY THE ADMINISTRATION, I AM SATISFIED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WOULD NOT GIVE ANY NEW OR ADDITIONAL POWERS TO THIS COUNCIL OTHER THAN THOSE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, HE SAID.
BILL PROVIDES FOR ORDERLY CONDUCT OF LEGCO BUSINESS
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SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL, THE HON S.L. CHEN SAID WHEN IT WAS INTRODUCED ON MAY 15 IT WAS PRESENTED AS A MEASURE TO CODIFY THE EXISTING POWERS AND. PRIVILEGES OF THE COUNCIL.
+ I THINK THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED, IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC REPRESENTATIONS AND THE VIEWS OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, SHOW THAT IT WENT BEYOND THAT UNDERSTANDING, HE SAID.
MAKING A SECOND POINT, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS PRESENTATIONAL, MR CHEN SAID POWERS AND PRIVILEGES AS ENSHRINED IN THE BILL DID NOT REFLECT THE COMMON MEANING OF THESE WORDS.
+THE PROVISIONS OF THIS BILL PROVIDE FOR THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE BUSINESS OF THIS COUNCIL AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR PREFERABLE IN MY VIEW TO PRESENT THEM AS SUCH,+ HE SAID.
/IT WAS