XN000022-1990-07-25 — Page 49

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1990

UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS, MRS TU SAID, AN URBAN COUNCILLOR WITH THE RELEVANT EXPERTISE MIGHT BE PRESENT AT EACH TYPE OF HEARING.

SHE RECALLED THAT WHEN THE BILL WAS FIRST TABLED, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL HAD ALREADY REACHED AGREEMENT ON ITS ORIGINAL TERMS, THAT TWO URBAN COUNCILLORS SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO THE APPEALS BOARD.

THE PURPOSE WAS TO ENSURE THAT EXPERTISE WAS AVAILABLE ON BOTH LICENSED PREMISES AND ON MARKET AND STREET TRADERS POLICIES.

WHEN THE AD HOC GROUP AND THE IN-HOUSE MEETING OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DECIDED TO REDUCE REPRESENTATION ON THE APPEALS BOARDS TO ONE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEMBER, THE URBAN COUNCIL REQUESTED THAT ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE TO HOLD SEPARATE HEARINGS FOR THE TWO TYPES OF APPEAL, SO THAT AN URBAN COUNCILLOR WITH THE RELEVANT EXPERTISE MIGHT BE PRESENT AT EACH TYPE OF HEARING, SHE SAID.

THE URBAN COUNCIL'S REQUEST WAS GRANTED, AND THOSE ARRANGEMENTS HAD NOW BEEN MADE WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES OF THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES APPEALS BOARDS, SUBJECT TO FORMAL APPROVAL BY THE BOARD CHAIRMAN.

UNDER THESE

ARRANGEMENTS, THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WOULD BE REQUIRED ANUALLY TO SUBMIT TWO SEPARATE LISTS OF COUNCILLORS, ONE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF LICENSED PREMISES AND THE OTHER OF MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS POLICIES.

CS PAYS TRIBUTE FOR WORK ON BILL

*

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THANKED THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP THAT STUDIED THE MEASURE AND THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS FOR COMING TOGETHER AND FINDING A GOOD COMPROMISE OF PROCEEDING WITH THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES APPEALS BOARDS BILL

WAY 1990.

WINDING UP THE SECOND READING DEBATE ON THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE AD HOC GROUP'S CONVENER, THE HON RITA FAN, HAD OUTLINED THE PROPOSALS WHICH SHE WAS PUTTING ON MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARDS WHICH HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE TWO COUNCILS AND WERE SUPPORTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

HE SAID THE HON ELSIE TU HAD MADE THE THE POINT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF MEMBERS STANDING ON RELEVANT SELECT COMMITTEES AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAD ALSO ACCEPTED THE PROCEDURE WHICH MRS TU OUTLINED.

HAD

"THE PROBLEM