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a quiet
His Excellency the Governor described in November 1973 as revolution in our soicety", which he felt was a necessary condition to success in Hong Kong's war against corruption.4
4.13 Legislative Council
At the highest level the Hong Kong Administration can be held accountable in the Legislative Council and within Parliament in Great Britain, In recent years, in Hong Kong, there has been an increasing interest in the debates taking place in the Legislative Council. Unofficial members of LegCo play an increasingly active part in calling the Administration to account by frequent use of the questions and answers procedure. The latest develop- ment is the decision, in principle, to create a Public Accounts Committee of the Legislative Council.5 The introduction of this Committee may hence- forth be seen as a fundamental breakthrough in extending the formal accountability of the Government to the public.
4.14 Accountability to the Public
4See
From outside Hong Kong, in recent years, there has been increasing parliamentary interest in the affairs of the community of Hong Kong in the form of visits from M.P.s and parliamentary questions on many aspects of life in Hong Kong are being frequently asked. The Hong Kong Government lacks the range of checks normally imposed by a parliament and does not face parliamentary complications and party cleavages. In Hong Kong genuine popular political institutions have failed to emerge and the Government is the Administration in what has been termed an "administrative no-party state". In this situation, it could be argued that the Government and all civil servants must be especially aware of their duty to account to the public. Although there are external pressures which are conducive to the practice of public accountability, and this Chapter describes many of the advances made in the past decade, there is no room for complacency. The initiative must continue to come from within Government and there is a constant need for corporate and individual con- sideration of the ways and means of practical application.
"Annual Report By The Commissioner of The Independent Commission Against Corruption"
5See
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www.
1976. Paras. 5.2 and 5.3.
"Official Report of Proceedings in Legislative Council" Paras. 38-43; Page 815 Date of Meeting - 25th April 1977.
6From
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"Foxes, Lions, Turtles and Butterflies. Some Reflections on Political Change in Hong Kong.". Lecture to Chung Chi College, C.U.H.K., by Prof. P.B. Harris, Dept. of Political Science, H.K.U. on 22nd March 1977.
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