XN000022-1985-11-07 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1985

'FIRST LEGCO MEETING HERALDS NEW STYLE'

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY DESCRIBED THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL'S FINANCE COMMITTEE YESTERDAY AS +LIVELY+ AND SAID HE WAS SURE IT WAS + THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW STYLE.+

+ I THOUGHT THE QUESTION PERIOD WAS SOMEWHAT MORE LIVELY THAN USUAL, AND I THOUGHT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS AN EXTREMELY LIVELY MEETING AND ONE WHICH I WELCOME BECAUSE IT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IN PUBLIC MATTERS WHICH WERE OF WIDE PUBLIC INTEREST, + HE SAID.

+ AND THERE WAS VERY CONSIDERABLE INTEREST FROM THE PRESS AND THE MEDIA IN THAT MEETING AND I AM SURE THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW STYLE.+

SIR DAVID WAS REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE TUEN MUN GOVERNMENT BUILDING TODAY.

ASKED WHY IT WAS NECESSARY FOR NEW MEMBERS JOINING THE COUNCIL FOR THE FIRST TIME TO DECLARE THEIR INTERESTS, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS NOT A NEW PROCEDURE.

+NEW MEMBERS, WHEN THEY JOIN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ARE ASKED IF THEY WOULD DECLARE THEIR INTERESTS SO THAT WE HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR MAJOR INVOLVEMENT, PERHAPS IN PUBLIC COMPANIES WHICH MAY BE THE SUBJECT OF, PERHAPS, DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND IT IS JUST AS WELL TO HAVE ON RECORD THEIR INTERESTS,+ SIR DAVID SAID.

IT IS FOLLOWED IN WESTMINSTER +THIS ISN'T A NEW PROCEDURE. AND IS QUITE COMMON IN OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD.+

IT WAS A VOLUNTARY DECLARATION WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY MEMBERS. ASKED WHETHER THE UK GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PLAYING AN ADVISORY ROLE IN LOCAL POLITICAL REFORMS, SIR DAVID SAID A LOT HAD BEEN SAID ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS BEFORE THE 1987 REVIEW.

+ THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS JUST TAKEN OFFICE AND WE HAVE SAID THAT WE ARE NOW GOING THROUGH A PERIOD WHEN WE WILL SEE HOW THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SETTLE DOWN, AND BE REVIEWING OUR WORK IN THE WAY THE LEGCO WORKS DURING THIS PERIOD BEFORE THE 1987 REVIEW.

+WHEN WE COME TO THE REVIEW WE WILL BE PUBLISHING, I IMAGINE, A GREEN PAPER WHICH WILL SET OUT VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM AND THEN THAT WILL BE OPEN TO PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS FOR A PERIOD BEFORE WE COME TO ANY FINAL DECISION,+ HE SAID.

/AB.ED WHETHER