TNAG-1727-FCO40-2440-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 236

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bills are published. As a first step to further develop our existing practice along the lines of a select committee system, a chairman of a select committee should in the future introduce bills into this

Council with the initial backing of the select committee concerned, 5 Thus, some support for a bill can be assured before it is introduced

Int into this Council. As the next step, the chairman of the select committee should answer questions in the legislature, by so doing, we wi avoid the pitfall of having fou cillors who serve only to criticise government. This direct involvement when sure that Councillors will be monitored and responsible for legislation as well as implementation. Hence, members must avoid being purely idealistic and non-pragmatic. My experience in the Urban Council is that select committees do work well when supported by a capable team of officers. The group action of a select committee will ensure that the enactment and the implementation of legislation is considered and monitored thoroughly in the process. I hope that serious consideration will be given to the use of select committees when we next introduce changes into our legislature.

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Urban

At the Municipal level, the Government has decided that in March 1989, ten Urban District Boards will each elect a representative to sit on the Urban Council, While Urban Councillors will cease to be ex officio members of the rban District Boards. Before we address this proposal critically, we should examine the present operation of the District Boards and the Urban Council before considering the constitutional link between the two bodies. Currently, there is considerable input from District Boards to the Urban Council. For 28 instance, the Urban Council capital works programme is annually placed before each pistrict Board and priorities within the programme are adjusted to meet Pistact Board needs. This is to ensure that all members of District Boards are consulted on important programmes such as capital works. Secondly, the Urban Council through its district relations select committee summarises matters raised at District Board meetings which concern the Urban Council. As the Urban Council select committees are organised on a functional basis, the functional select committee concerned also monitors points raised at District Board

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