TNAG-1366-FCO40-1812-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 139

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It is also fitting that this should be done

as the Legislative Council is about to move into its own premises. Until now, with the Council housed in

this Seretariat building, there has not been a building occupied exclusively by the Members of the Legislative Council. That will be no longer the case

in October when the Council moves

down from this

building and takes its place in the centre of our

city. It is. therefore necessary to have set out clearly in the law of Hong Kong the authority of the Legislative Council through its President to regulate the conduct of members of the public admitted to the

new Council Chamber, to committee rooms and to rooms

set aside for members of the public to meet members of

this Council.

We are then, concerned today with the second

reading of a Bill which seeks to assert the status of the Legislative Council under the Laws of Hong Kong. With regard to the question of the philosophy of the Bill, as the commentators would put it, I think it fair to point out that just as the provisions of the

Bill are derived from the existing law, So the philosophy of the Bill reflects the philosophy of the law. And that law is parliamentary law. It is not

the case that the Bill proposes to introduce

parliamentary law in a situation where it is not already present. The essential point that must be emphasised is that parliamentary law is now being and has long been applied in Hong Kong in respect of this

Council. I am advised and I accept that in the

context of Hong Kong this Bill is a faithful reflection of that law and the existing situation:

does not introduce new law.

it