TNAG-1440-FCO40-1924-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 118

SECRET

(ii)

(h)

Select

(i)

Lands and Works) and all 46 of the Unofficial

members. Other senior officials attend as required.

It meets in public to scrutinise proposals for public

expenditure. Its two sub-committees deal with public

works and establishment (of the Public Service).

Public Accounts Committee

This consists of a

It

Chairman and six members, all Unofficials.

examines and reports on the findings in the Director

of Audit's report on the audit of the Government's

annual statements

of account and "on any matters

performance of his duties and the

powers" under the Audit Ordinance

relating to the

exercise of his

(Chapter 122).

existence:

and

on

a

Committees * These may be appointed to consider

report upon issues as directed by the presiden proposal by a member of Council. There are at present two in

one on complex commercial crime and one on

benefits for former prisoners of war.

Until now, this

function has been largely carried out by ad hoc groups of

members of LEGCO: and in part by the Unofficial members of

Executive and Legislative Council (UMELCO) (see paragraph

19). An increasing number of select committees may be expected in future.

As distinct from their activities qua UMELCO, the Unofficial

members of LEGCO have formed ad hoc groups to study current

policy issues such as the Broadcasting Review Board report,

the White Paper on the draft Hong Kong (British Nationality)

Concil

order the Green Paper on housing subsidy to tenants

public housing and similar subjects.

UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS (UMELCO)

ACTIVITIES

18.

The Unofficial

of

members of both Councils (UMELCO) have for

many years functioned as an entity. They have, in the Legislative

Council building, their own offices and staff, to assist them in

studying courses of action proposed by the Government and in

SECRET