TNAG-1287-FCO40-1638-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 62

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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

of

interest and debate questions of policy. No significant changes in the present functions of the Legislative Council are thought to be necessary, because these allow ample scope

for the development

its role. For example, there may be scope for some development in the use of Select Committees, based on

on the present informal system of UMELCO Working Groups, to examine specific policy issues and major items of legislation; more Committees of the Council to meet in public.

commerce, architecture,

education,

and for

The

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), twenty-nine Unofficial members and fifteen Official members, making a total membership (including the Governor) of forty-eight. twenty-nine Unofficial members are associated with A wide range of functional constituencies (including industry, medicine, law, engineering/ 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 ΟΠ the basis of their 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 present system whereby all the Unofficial members of the Legislative Council are selected and appointed by the Governor should developed progressively to provide

તે substantial

for

number of the members to be elected indirectly

be

(a) by an electoral college of Urban Council,

new Regional Council and District Board members; and

(b)

by functional groups, or "constituencies".

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