XN000022-1988-07-06 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1988

SIR DAVID SAID THE OPPORTUNITY DESIRABLE AMENDMENTS TO STANDING ORDERS.

WAS TAKEN TO MAKE OTHER

"FOR EXAMPLE, CLAUSE 1 IS INTENDED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ABSENT FROM HONG KONG, BUT MERELY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BEFORE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRESIDING IN ABSENCE MAY APPLY.

FROM HIS

"THIS FOLLOWS A SIMILAR CLARIFICATION WHICH WAS MADE WHEN THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE AMENDED EARLIER THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

г

CLAUSES 6 AND 7(B) PROVIDED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF MARGINAL NOTES IN B11LS LEFT BY MARGIN SECTION HEADINGS. THIS AMENDMENT ALSO FOLLOWED FROM RECENT CHANGES TO THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS.

SIR DAVID SAID CLAUSES 7(A) AND 8 WERE TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS CONCERNED WITH THE PROCEDURES FOR DEBATING AMENDMENTS TO BILLS IN COMMITTEE.

"LASTLY, CLAUSE 9 GIVES AUTHORITY TO FINANCE COMMITTEE то APPOINT SUB-COMMITTEES AND PERMITS THE COMMITTEE TO DEAL WITH MATTERS BY CIRCULATION DURING A RECESS AND, IF NECESSARY, ΤΟ HOLD A MEETING IN A RECESS TO DECIDE MATTERS WHICH CANNOT ВЕ DETERMINED ON CIRCULATION, HE ADDED.

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LATER, IN REPLY TO SUGGESTIONS BY THE HON ANDREW WONG, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE DISSOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS YEAR, CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING LAW AND THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE ELECTION TIMETABLE, WOULD BE AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE.

"THE ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK AT THESE ARRANGEMENTS то SEE WHETHER FURTHER REDUCTIONS COULD BE MADE IN FUTURE YEARS, HE ADDED.

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ON MR WONG'S REMARK THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD EXERCISE HIS POWER AND APPOINT A NON-OFFICIAL MEMBER TO PRESIDE IN HIS ABSENCE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, SIR DAVID QUOTED PARAGRAPH 60 OF THE WHITE PAPER ON "THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT-THE WAY FORWARD".

IT STATED THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR CANNOT ATTEND THE COUNCIL A MEMBER APPOINTED BY HIM OR THE SENIOR OFFICIAL MEMBER PRESENT WILL PRESIDE IN HIS PLACE."

THE GOVERNOR HAD ALREADY USED THE POWER ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, AND WOULD NO DOUBT CONTINUE TO DO SO, SIR DAVID SAID.

GOVERNOR ΤΟ APPOINT A

THE POWER DID, OF COURSE, ENABLE THE MEMBER OTHER THAN AN OFFICIAL MEMBER, HE ADDED.

REGARDING THE PROVISIONS IN CLAUSES 6 AND 7(B), SIR DAVID CONFIRMED THAT SECTION HEADINGS, LIKE MARGINAL NOTES, HAD NO LEGAL EFFECT, AS PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION 18(3) OF THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE.

/SIR DAVID

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