TNAG-2449-FCO40-3565-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 113

pa. Leglo

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MDLIAN 5469

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46

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 2118

OF 140902Z AUGUST 92

CONFIDENTIAL

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TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: ACTIVITIES IN JULY 1992.

SUMMARY

1.

THREE LEGCO SITTINGS AND TWO FINANCE COMMITTEE (FC) MEETINGS IN THE LAST MONTH OF THE 1991-92 SESSION. A LARGE NUMBER OF BILLS WERE PASSED. SEVEN MOTION DEBATES WERE HELD. A NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE ADOPTED.

LEGISLATION

2. ELEVEN BILLS WERE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGCO FOR FIRST READING AND SEVENTEEN BILLS WERE ENACTED IN JULY. THE LAST TWO ORDINANCES UNDER THE BILL OF RIGHTS 'FREEZE', THE CRIMES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1992 AND THE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1992, WERE ENACTED ON 15 JULY, THE LAST SITTING OF THE SESSION.

3. WHEN THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDED ON 16 JULY, 100 BILLS HAD BEEN INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO, 80 OF WHICH WERE ENACTED. THE OUTCOME COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THE AVERAGE OF 70 TO 80 BILLS ENACTED IN A NORMAL SESSION.

MOTION DEBATES

4. SEVEN MOTION DEBATES. DETAILS OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL ONES ARE APPENDED BELOW.

REVIEW ON EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATIVE RELATIONSHIP

5. SZETO WAH MOVED THE MOTION ON 1 JULY 'THAT THIS COUNCIL URGES THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW AND IMPROVE URGENTLY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS ON THE BASIS OF THE PRINCIPLE PROVIDED IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION THAT THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE.' THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.

6. THE FOCUS OF THE DEBATE WAS ON THE APPOINTMENT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (EXCO) AND ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE TO THE LEGISLATURE. THE LIBERALS ARGUED STRONGLY FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF SOME DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS TO THE

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