TNAG-1444-FCO40-1928-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 52

11.

consultation

have to satisfy the Council about. the degree of public

that has preceded the submission and the

publicity arrangements envisaged following the decision.

In

order to ensure that the case is fairly and accurately

presented, the memorandum may be circulated in draft form

for the comments of all those officials with an interest in

the subject. Finally the memorandum will be given

or the Branch Secretary personal

Department responsible and, in many cases,

Attorney-General and the Chief Secretary personally.

scrutiny of

The final version of the memorandum is sent

the

Head of

of

the

Members by the Clerk of Councils who normally aims to get it

into their hands 10 days before the meeting so as to allow

plenty of time for them to consider it. In any one week,

the Council may be asked to consider more

than 20 separate

proposals which may be supported by memoranda

and annexes

running to tens of pages. The preparatory work required by

individual members before the meeting takes place is

therefore very considerable. A remarkable feature of the

Council's work is the thoroughness with which it is done and

Reel

the care with which any proposal is weighed.

Thus by the time the Council comes to discuss a

proposal it will have been the subject of many hundreds of

hours of work, by the Officials concerned, by the members of

the Public who have

been consulted and by the

Members

3

themselves.

1