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Buildings (Amendment) Bill 1997
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in resuming the second reading of the Buildings (Amendment) Bill 1997 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
I move the Second Reading of the Buildings (Amendment) Bill 1997.
The Bill seeks to improve in a number of ways the appointment and composition of the disciplinary boards for authorised persons, registered structural engineers, registered general building contractors and registered specialist contractors under the Buildings Ordinance.
First, the proposed amendment seeks to remove any perception of unfairness arising from the dual role served by the Building Authority in relation to disciplinary proceedings against building professionals and contractors. The current practice is that the Building Authority is the chairman of, and appoints members to, the disciplinary boards. He is also responsible for submitting cases to the boards. It is proposed that the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands will take up the appointment function. Furthermore, the boards should be chaired by persons elected from among members of the disciplinary boards.
Second, the proposed amendment will modernise the administration of the disciplinary boards. Apart from the proposed election of the chairman, we propose that a lay person be nominated to each disciplinary board to widen the perspective of the board. As a result of the detachment of the Building Authority from the composition of the boards, self-regulation among building professionals will be encouraged.
I am aware of Members' concern over the introduction of bills of this nature at this stage of the LegCo session. However, I hope Members would appreciate that our briefing to the relevant building professional institutes and contractors' associations on the proposals could not be completed until late March. We were therefore unable to introduce the Bill to the Council earlier.
Mr President, I should be grateful if Members would give the Bill their favourable consideration and support it.
End