XN000022-1996-04-24 — Page 15

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Motion on access to ExCo papers by PAC strongly objected

Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary, Mrs Anson Chan, in response to the Hon Eric Li's motion on access to ExCo papers by the Public Accounts Committee in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I have to make it clear from the outset that the Administration strongly objects to the Hon. Eric Li's motion. The allegation that the Administration has refused to co- operate with the Public Accounts Committee in the performance of its duties is simply not true. On the contrary, the Administration has always done its best to co-operate fully with the Public Accounts Committee and to assist it in its work, and we did so in the examination that the Committee carried out into the Director of Audit's report on'' the review of the housing benefits provided by the Hospital Authority to its staff.

The motion refers to the paper presented to this Council on 19 November 1986 by the then Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which set out the scope of the work of the Director of Audit in carrying out 'value for money' studies. The Administration did indeed accept the proposals in this paper. But nothing in the paper suggested that the PA should have access to ExCo documents, as the motion implies. Whether or not this is necessary is a wholly subjective judgment, and it is wrong to suggest by juxtaposition that it was accepted, either explicitly or implicitly in 1986.

The

Let me remind Members of this Council of the extent of the Administration's co-operation with the PAC during its recent inquiry into the Director of Audit's report on the Hospital Authority staff's housing benefits. All officials involved, including the former Chief Secretary, the former Secretary for Health and Welfare, the former Secretary for the Civil Service, the present Secretary for the Treasury, the former Chairman of the Hospital Authority and the present Chief Executive of the Authority, attended the PAC's hearings several times to answer Members' queries. Administration also provided the Committee with the relevant internal correspondence between the Hospital Authority and the Government. I myself gave detailed answers to the questions raised in a series of letters sent to me by the Chairman of the PAC, including full details of those parts of the relevant ExCo memoranda and discussions which related to this issue. The record is clear. We did our best to give every assistance to the PAC in its deliberations. All relevant information was provided to the Committee. And I reject any suggestion that the Administration deliberately misled the PAC.