TNAG-2459-FCO40-3580-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-administrati-1992 — Page 79

GENERAL STATEMENT

TOC

DRAFT

A

Drafting Instructions

Audit (Amendment) Bill

The Governor has decided to step down as President Legislative Council as soon as possible, and action

is underway to amend the relevant constitutional documents

of

the

to

effect this change.

Consequential amendment of

ordinances where references are made to "the Governor as President of the Legislative Council" is also required.

2.

the

the

The

Civil Division of the Attorney General's Chambers have advised that such references appear mainly in Audit Ordinance (Cap. 122). The only other instance of

Governor being described as "Governor as President of

the Legislative Council" is in the Employees Retraining

Ordinance (Cap. 423), but even there (section 12), it is

also only in relation to the Director of Audit's

examination of accounts and submission of reports on same

Governor is so described. The amendments could

therefore be dealt with in one bill to amend Cap. 122, with

a consequential amendment to Cap. 423.

that the

3.

The

the laws

purpose of this exercise is solely to amend 60 that they will reflect the up-to-date

arrangements. We do not intend to change

constitutional

any of the principles and philosophies currently reflected

in Cap. 122 (and Cap. 423). This, we hope, would ensure that the amendments will be passed quickly by LegCo with a minimum of controversy. Nor are we dealing with the adaptaţion of the ordinances to ensure compatibility with

the Basic Law

that will be a separate exercise to be

3