TNAG-1360-FCO40-1806-Procedural-changes-in-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 19

6

When have

all been

the

So

bill(1). clauses considered, a Member,

a Member, usually the Attorney General, reports to the Council that the bill has passed through committee with or without amendments. The bill is then deemed to be set down for the third reading and is later read formally the third time at the same sitting.

Three-sitting procedure

10

The three-sitting procedure is similar to the two-sitting procedure, except for the fact that the second reading debate may be adjourned a second time, to be resumed and concluded at the third sitting when the committee stage and third reading would be taken. The second reading debate would thus extend over all the three sittings: the probable form would be for the Official Member moving the bill to speak at the first sitting; the Unofficial Members to speak at the second sitting; and the Official Member to reply at the third sitting.

(1)

there are six LegCo Working Groups formed by the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council to examine bills after their introduction into the Council. They are: Community Services, Economic Services, General Services, Legislative Scrutiny and Legal Services, Monetary Affairs and Social Services. They examine the general principles behind proposed legislation and the Legislative Scrutiny and Legal Services Group also examine the drafting aspects of the legislation. Ad-hoc groups sometimes formed to look at bills which fall within the spheres of interest of more than one of the six groups. The Unofficial Member proposing any amendments will usually explain them during the second reading

the amendments are moved

debate before

are

in

the committee stage.