TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 145

THESE MATTERS ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN CHAPTER 7.

CHAPTER 5 THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

33. CLEARLY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION AND FOR CONTROLLING

AND MONITORING THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, THROUGH

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE. IT SHOULD ALSO RETAIN ITS POWERS TO QUESTION THE ADMINISTRATION ON MATTERS

OF PUBLIC INTEREST AND DEBATE QUESTIONS OF POLICY. NO SIGNIFICANT

CHANGES IN THE PRESENT FUNCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE

THOUGH TO BE NECESSARY, BECAUSE THESE ALLOW AMPLE SCOPE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS ROLE. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE MAY BE SCOPE FOR SOME DEVELOPMENT IN THE USE OF SELECT COMMITTEES, BASED ON THE PRESENT

INFORMAL SYSTEM OF UMELCO WORKING GROUPS, TO EXAMINE SPECIFIC

POLICY ISSUES AND MAJOR ITEMS OF LEGISLATION: AND FOR MORE

COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL TO MEET IN PUBLIC.

34. AT PRESENT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS COMPOSED OF THE

GOVERNOR (AS PRESIDENT), THREE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS (THE CHIEF

SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL),

FIFTEEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS AND TWENTY-NINE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS,

MAKING A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP (INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR) OF FORTY-EIGHT.

THE TWENTY-UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIDE RANGE

OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES (INCLUDING COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, MEDICINE, LAW, ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURE, EDUCATION, SOCIAL WORK, FINANCE, ACCOUNTANCY, TRADE UNIONS/WORKERS AND RELIGIOUS BODIES) AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES (INCLUDING THE URBAN

COUNCIL, THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE HEUNG YEE KUK). HOWEVER, THEY

WERE SELECTED AND APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ON THE BASIS OF THE IR

MERITS AND STANDING AS INDIVIDUALS RATHER THAN SPECIFICALLY TO

REPRESENT THESE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES, AND IN SOME CASES THE

INDIVIDUALS SELECTED ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MORE THAN ONE

CONSTITUENCY.

35. THE MAIN QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

CONCERNS ITS COMPOSITION AND THE METHODS TO BE ADOPTED FOR THE

SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF ITS MEMBERS. AS HAS ALREADY BEEN INDICATED, IT IS CONSIDERED THAT THE AIM SHOULD BE THE PROGRESSIVE REPLACEMENT OF THE APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY MEMBERS ELECTED INDIRECTLY -

(A) BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE OF URBAN COUNCIL, THE NEW REGIONAL

COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, AND

(B) BY FUNCTIONAL GROUPS, OR

? 'CONSTITUENCIES**

-AND A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS.

36. IN THE CASE OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES IT IS PROPOSED

THAT AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE SHOULD BE FORMED CONSISTING OF ALL THE

ELECTED AND, TO START WITH, ALL THE APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE

DISTRICT BOARDS, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL.

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