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11. THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD TRIED TO PREDICT AND MEET MEMBER'S CONCERNS BY PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION AND BY ARRANGING SPECIAL BRIEFINGS. A GOOD EXAMPLE WAS THE FACT THAT A PROPOSAL TO CREATE THREE ADDITIONAL POSTS OF HIGH COURT JUDGE WAS APPROVED AFTER WELL PREPARED BRIEFING AND LOBBYING, NOTWITHSTANDING INITIAL INDICATIONS THAT WE WOULD FACE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
12. PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE BUILDING-COST OF THE HKUST WERE HELD ON 24 JANUARY AND 2 MARCH. I APPOINTED MARTIN LEE TO REPLACE STEPHEN NG AS A PAC MEMBER DURING THE LATTER'S ILLNESS.
13. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE HEARINGS. SEVERAL TOP OFFICIALS INCLUDING THE CS, SIR S Y CHUNG (CHAIRMAN OF THE HKUST) AND SIR GORDON MACWHINNIE (JOCKEY CLUB CHAIRMAN) AGREED TO
APPEAR BEFORE PAC.
14. EMILY LAU AND MARTIN LEE CONTINUED THEIR ATTEMPTS TO FIND
SCAPEGOATS FOR THE SO-CALLED COST-OVERRUNS. IT BECAME CLEAR FROM THE HEARINGS, HOWEVER THAT NO FIRM EVIDENCE AS TO PRECISELY WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE WOULD EMERGE. PUBLIC INTEREST SUBSIDED
SLIGHTLY AFTER THE HEARING ON 24 JAN. NO DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN
YET ON WHETHER ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE HELD.
COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
15. THE WORKING GROUP HAS MEET SIX TIMES TO DISCUSS DETAILED
PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION. A REPORT IS BEING PREPARED AND A
MEETING OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON 13 MARCH TO DISCUSS THE GROUP'S REPORT.
16. THE MAIN ISSUES ARE WHETHER THE BILLS COMMITTEES SHOULD BE
COMMITTEES OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL OR SUB-COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE (REPLACING THE CURRENT IN-HOUSE MEETING): AND WHETHER BILLS COMMITTEES SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE THE POWER TO SUMMON
PUBLIC OFFICERS AND OTHERS.
17. AT THE WORKING GROUP MEETING ON 14 FEBRUARY, A HEATED DEBATE BROKE OUT BETWEEN YEUNG SUM AND RON ARCULLI ON WHETHER MINORITY
VIEWS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRESS REPORT TO MEMBERS. AS THE ARCULLI MODEL WAS ADOPTED BY A NARROW MAJORITY (MY TELNO
185), AND SOME OF THE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES (E.G. STATUS OF THE BILL COMMITTEES) HAD NOT BEEN EXHAUSTIVELY DISCUSSED PRIOR TO ITS ADOPTION, CONTINUED ARGUMENT OVER SUCH ISSUES IS EXPECTED WHEN
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