TNAG-1720-FCO40-2400-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 88

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DISTRICT BOARDS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988

(b) by inserting after subsection (2) the following-

Amendment of section 14.

5.

"(3) When the holder of the office for the time being of Chairman of a Rural Committee referred to in section 6(1)(b) fails throughout a period of 6 consecutive months to attend any meeting of the Board by reason of the prolonged illness of that person the Board may subsequently excuse the failure if that person seeks the approval of the Board within a reason- able time of his having recovered or substantially recovered from that illness.".

Section 14 of the principal Ordinance is amended-

(a) by being renumbered as subsection (1);

(b) in subsection (1), by deleting paragraph (ea) and substituting the

following

"(ea) subject to subsection (2), other than a member who is a member by virtue of section 6(1)(b), fails throughout a period of 6 consecutive months to attend any meeting of the Board unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the Board prior to the commencement of that period;"; and

(c) by inserting after subsection (1) the following-

Amendment of section 15.

6.

"(2) When a member fails throughout a period of 6 consecutive months to attend any meeting of the Board by reason of the prolonged illness of that member the Board may subsequently excuse the failure if that member seeks the approval of the Board within a reasonable time of his having recovered or substantially recovered from that illness.".

Section 15 of the principal Ordinance is amended- (a) in subsection (5A), by inserting after "(1)" the following-

"or at any other meeting of the Board at which a new Chairman is to be elected"; and

(b) by deleting subsection (6).

Explanatory Memorandum

The main objects of the Bill are to amend the District Boards Ordinance, Cap. 366–

(a) by providing a definition of "meeting of the Board" to exclude

committee meetings (clause 2);

(b) by providing for the vacation of membership of a Board where a member fails to attend meetings of the District Board for a period of 6 months or more (clause 5); and

(c) by providing for a District Officer to preside at meetings of a District Board pending the election of a new Chairman (clause 6). 2. The Bill has no public finance or Public Service staffing implications.