с
CONFIDENTIAL
- Ron Arculli proposes a system of ad hoc Bills Committees
to scrutinise individual Bills (but with no continuing role
in monitoring Government policy).
I agree
3. I attach a helpful analysis by Ms Saunders.
with her that if the Leong proposals are adopted, this will
take the form of a procedural reorganisation, but will in practice enhance LegCo's political influence. The
discussion in ExCo showed that HKG are in doubt as to
whether this would go beyond LegCo's constitutional role.
The ExCo meeting commissioned legal advice on this point (we
have not heard the outcome, nor indeed was this ExCo
exchange reported to us at the time). The whole subject is due to be discussed again by LegCo at their in-house meeting
on 4 January.
4. The Minister might ask the Governor on 7 January how
things are going on this front (I have included a note on the checklist). My own view is that it is inevitable that
LegCo will seek more of a say at an earlier stage in the formulation of Government policies, and indeed, that it is
in our interests that ways should be found to give them an
opportunity to inject their views before proposals get set
in concrete. But I can see that a formal panoply of
Standing Committees may not be the best way to achieve it.
ikelt
PF Ricketts
BUGAFU/2
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.