TNAG-1604-FCO40-2211-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-reports-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kon-1988 — Page 56

indirect elections. Twelve are elected by an electoral college, comprising all members of the District Boards and the Urban and Regional Councils; and twelve by functional constituencies representing significant sectors of the community.

(a) The Legislative Council

25. The 1985/1986 session of the Legislative Council marked a significant stage in its history. In addition to the introduction of elected members for the first time, the size of the Council was increased from 45 to 56, and the number of official members was reduced from 16 to 10. The Council also moved to a new chamber, physically separate from the Central Government Offices and met weekly, instead of every two weeks. In addition to dealing with some 72 Bills at various stages of enactment, Council members asked 296 questions and 797 supplementary questions of official members, compared with 179 questions and 349 supplementaries in the previous session, and held debates on a number of specific policy issues.

26. Thus the 1985/1986 session saw a marked increase in the volume of business conducted by the Council. It was characterised by lively and, at times, heated debate on important issues such as the safety of the future nuclear power plant at Daya Bay in Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China, and the further development of representative government in the territory.

27. The increasingly vigorous style of Council proceedings and the tendency for Councillors to air their differences openly, rather than in closed session, as in the past, has continued into the 1986/1987 session. The debate on the motion of thanks for the Governor's opening address, during which almost all members spoke, was dominated by discussion of the direction which the further development of Hong Kong's system of representative government should take. Views were expressed strongly for and against rapid changes in the present system. The current session had also seen the Council adopt the practice of holding an adjournment debate at the close of virtually every sitting. Issues already debated include medical services, public housing rental policy, care of the elderly, industrial safety and education.

(b) The 1987 Review

28. In line with the commitment in the 1984 White Paper, the Hong Kong Government will undertake a further review of the progress of the development of representative government in 1987. A Green Paper will be published following which there will be a period of public consultation. A White Paper setting out the Government's intentions, in the light of the public opinion ex- pressed, will then be published. The main issues on which the views of the public will be sought whether there should be further changes in the composition of the Legislative Council, and whether the Governor should continue to be President of the Legislative Council.

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