TNAG-2470-FCO40-3594-Budget-of-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 20

Q

INTRODUCTION

Sir,

I would like to begin my reply by drawing attention to what I see as a paradox in the response to my Budget. I think it fair to say that this Budget has been the subject of unusually intense scrutiny and debate in this Council. Yet, I think it also true that in the community as a whole, the Budget has been seen as a balanced and sensible package. I believe that this paradox is a symptom of the fact that we - the Legislative Council and the Government - are still developing our working relationship within the framework of our very unusual constitution. Many Members have made the point that the Government must not treat the Legislative Council as if it were a rubber stamp. I can assure that this has never been our intention. Some Members have acknowledged that this year we have gone further than ever before to ascertain the views of Members of this Council before framing the Budget. Let me spell out what this has meant.

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2.

We looked very closely at the manifestos of the elected Members in an effort to identify their concerns and priorities.

We arranged a discussion with the OMELCO - In House in December.

We issued the full draft estimates of expenditure to Members and to the media a full ten days before Budget Day.

We briefed Members on the contents of the expenditure estimates on the Friday before Budget Day.

We have more than doubled the amount of time for Members' questions in the special meetings of Finance Committee.

I have also made a point of meeting any Member of this Council, or group of Members, who wished to express a view on the Budget. Unfortunately, many of these sessions were far too late to have a meaningful impact on my Budget strategy for this year.

I accept that more needs to be done. The changed composition of the Legislative Council makes it essential that we devise arrangements which enable Members to make their contributions to the Budget process in good time. I stand ready to start a dialogue on how best to achieve this objective in time for next year's Budget.

3.

I am not sure that many people realise what a complex process the Budget is. It involves far more than simply looking at a list of suggestions and selecting the ones we like the look of. In fact, the Budget process begins very soon after the previous

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