TNAG-1442-FCO40-1926-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 40

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(a)

(b)

in deciding on policy, the Executive Council has available a direct and authoritative source of advice on the likely degree of support or opposition in the Legislative Council or the community generally, for and against proposals brought

before it for consideration;

members who sit on both Councils can advise whether

whether draft

legislation is likely to be acceptable to the Legislative Council in the terms proposed by Government departments; or whether a stage of public consultations is required before legislation is proposed to the Legislative Council;

(c)

many

(a)

6.

policy decisions

require the funds to make them

effective. With members of the Legislative Council (also

members of the Legislative Council Finance Committee) present, the Executive Council can judge before deciding on the policy, whether the Finance Committee would be likely to vote such funds to support it;

of

when policies are debated in the Legislative Council the

Government makes

statement a

its the justification for policy. It is valuable in the ensuing debate to have in the

Legislative Council, members who were present at the

Executive Council discussion and who can in consequence

elaborate on the issues considered by the Executive Council.

The advantages to the Legislative Council in having some of its members on the Executive Council are that:

(a)

there is a channel through which the likely feeling in the Legislative Council can be conveyed to the Executive Council

before decisions are made,

made, thus reducing the likelihood that

will be policies not acceptable to the majority of members

the form presented

of legislation

to the

proposals for funds;

Council

in

or

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