TNAG-2449-FCO40-3565-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 221

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

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OF 07095OZ FEBRUARY 92

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INFO PRIORITY HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JL

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: ACTIVITIES IN JANUARY 1992

SUMMARY

KONG

THERE WERE THREE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (LEGCO) SITTINGS AND TWO FINANCE COMMITTEE (FC) MEETINGS IN JANUARY. A DECISION ON THE FUTURE LEGCO COMMITTEE STRUCTURE WAS REACHED AFTER AN EMOTIVE TWO-MONTH DEBATE. A SELECT COMMITTEE ON LEGCO ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS WAS ESTABLISHED.

2.

GENERALLY LEGCO MEMBERS DISPLAYED GREATER FAMILIARITY WITH LEGCO PROCEDURES AND RESTRAINT IN SETTING UP AD HOC GROUPS TO SCRUTINISE BILLS. THE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS CONTINUED TO ADOPT POSITIONS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR ELECTION PLATFORMS AND THE INTERESTS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

3. LEGCO ACTIVITIES CONTINUED TO ATTRACT WIDESPREAD MEDIA INTEREST. MEETINGS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE AND ESTABLISHMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF FC WERE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME.

LEGISLATION

4.

SEVEN BILLS WERE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO FOR FIRST READING DURING JANUARY. THE ONLY POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL BILLS IS THE MEDICAL REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1992, WHICH SEEKS TO PROVIDE FOR LIMITED REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN MEDICAL PRACTIONERS (E.G. NON-COMMONWEALTH DOCTORS WORKING IN VBP CAMPS) WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ENTITLED TO BE REGISTERED UNDER THE ORDINANCE.

5.

ELEVEN BILLS PASSED THOUGH LEGCO. THE SMOKING (PUBLIC HEALTH) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1992 (TO INTRODUCE FURTHER ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES) AND THE STAMP DUTY CAMENDMENT) (NO.4) BILL 1991 (TO CURB PROPERTY SPECULATION) WERE OF PARTICULAR PUBLIC INTEREST.

6.

AS AT 31 JANUARY, THIRTY-FOUR BILLS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED

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