TNAG-1357-FCO40-1798-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 13

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iii)

Senior Unofficial Member

A leading Unofficial is (by convention,

basis in Standing Orders or elsewhere)

no

appointed

by the Governor as Senior Unofficial Member of the

Council. She shepherds rather than leads her

colleagues, and deals with the Governor and the

Chief Secretary on public business generally as well

as in the Legislative Council and UMELCO contexts.

iv)

Legislation

ma

Any Member at any time/give notice of intention

to present a Bill. In practice, however, (except for

Bills of a private, non-policy nature) all Bills are

presented by Official Members on behalf of the

Government. Bills are subjected to three readings

and a committee stage. The question is put at each

(Until stage and is decided by a majority of votes.

now, voting has been very rare: Bills are amended by

consensus before the committee stage, or very rarely,

withdrawn). Bills which have passed the Council

receive the Assent of the Governor and are then

published as Ordinances. (See paragraph 2 above)

Questions

v)

Questions are addressed by Unofficial Members

to the Government, on a wide range of issues great and

small either seeking information or asking for action. Questions and answers are dealt with orally with

supplementary questions to a larger extent than in

Written questions are relatively

Parliament.

infrequent.

?

./8