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colleagues that even if the mock meeting was a success, you still cannot use Chinese because the law has not been amended yet. This remark was made to me, Mr. Chairman. And the second point, concerning Standing Orders, the Chairman refers to section 7(b) of the Ordinance, and he also probably referred to the order 1, rule 1 of Standing Orders, saying that the proceedings in Council shall be conducted in English. Now, I did consider this question. I'm of the view that if the main Ordinance be changed to allow Chinese to be used side by side with English, then Standing Orders must follow, because Standing Orders must follow the main Ordinance, so there is no question of that, and I would assure Mrs. SYMONS that there will be no such rush—the power is still in the Government's hands in the Legislative Council. When they think the time is proper, or appropriate, then they may change the law, but this Motion is only our wish that we want Government to consider, as soon as possible, the necessary amendments to the Ordinance. I think, Mrs. SYMONS, there is no danger which you have in your mind.
MRS. SYMONS:-I am a pessimist, Mr. Chairman.
MR. HU:-Yes, and I think this only expresses what is our wish, and this is only to prevent such thing to be re-happened as in 1966. Even if we have all the technical success, yet this legal impediment is there, so we shall do it both ways. One, this technical question, the other the legal question. So I can assure MRS. SYMONS certainly I will be as careful and conscious as she is.
(Mr. Peter P. F. CHAN left the meeting at this point).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, what Mr. Henry Hu wants to say is that there is no danger of any Government department working over-time and working fast. No Government department has ever been known to work expeditiously. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-Let's take a vote on this, which is, as it stands, "Resolved that this Council urges the Government to consider as soon as possible the necessary amendment to Section 45 of the Urban Council Ordinance (Cap. 101 of the Laws of Hong Kong) which reads:
"The proceedings of the Council shall be conducted in the English language";
so that both English and Chinese may be used in the Council's meetings."
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 17 votes for and 5 abstentions.
(2) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN moved the following Motion:-
"Resolved that this Council continue to press the Government to implement the recommendations of the March 1969 Urban Council Report on the Reform of Local Government.”
He said:-Mr. Chairman, seven months ago, at the March meeting of the Urban Council, I asked the Chairman whether any information had been received as to Government's views on the Urban Council's revised report on the future scope and expansion of local government.
Your reply, Mr. Chairman, was that you had discussions with Secretariat Officers (including the Colonial Secretary) and His Excellency the Governor about this matter, and that the subject would soon be referred to the Executive Council.
That reply was considered unsatisfactory by the Elected Members and they walked out of that particular meeting to register their concern at the dilatoriness and delay by Government in the implementation of positive steps towards local government reform.
Today, as far as this Council's Elected Members are concerned—and may I say too as far as many of Hongkong's four million residents are concerned we are all still in the dark as to what the Government has in mind by way of local government reform in specific terms.
Most or all of the Elected Members still feel just as frustrated and concerned at this continued snail's pace of progress in the reform of local government. Several members of the public have recently asked me whether it was not time to have another walk-out to re-emphasize the concern of the Elected Members.
My own view at this stage is that we must wait until the Unofficial Urban Councillors have had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Anthony ROYLE, the new Conservative Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who will be arriving in Hong Kong this week.
The British Labour Party, despite numerous promises, did nothing to bring about any progressive change in local government in Hong Kong. Now that the Conservatives are in power in the United Kingdom, I think it is only fair that we wait for a while to see whether the Conservatives will act instead of just talk.
In Phase I of the Urban Council's March 1969 Report, it is urged that there should be an increase in the number of Elected Members. This request is eminently justifiable since without any doubt to have only ten elected members for an urban population of over three million persons is farcical, undemocratic and most inappropriate for the times in which we live.
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colleagues that even if the mock meeting was a success, you still cannot use Chinese because the law has not been amended yet. This remark was made to me, Mr. Chairman. And the second point, concerning Standing Orders, the Chairman refers to section 7(b) of the Ordinance, and he also probably referred to the order 1, rule 1 of Standing Orders, saying that the proceedings in Council shall be conducted in English. Now, I did consider this question. I'm of the view that if the main Ordinance be changed to allow Chinese to be used side by side with English, then Standing Orders must follow, because Standing Orders must follow the main Ordinance, so there is no question of that, and I would assure Mrs. SYMONS that there will be no such rush-the power is still in the Government's hands in the Legislative Council. When they think the time is proper, or appropriate, then they may change the law, but this Motion is only our wish that we want Government to consider, as soon as possible, the necessary amendments to the Ordinance. I think, Mrs. SYMONS, there is no danger which you have in your mind.
MRS. SYMONS:-I am a pessimist, Mr. Chairman.
MR. HU:-Yes, and I think this only expresses what is our wish, and this is only to prevent such thing to be re-happened as in 1966. Even if we have all the technical success, yet this legal impediment is there, so we shall do it both ways. One, this technical question, the other the legal question. So I can assure MRS. SYMONS certainly I will be as careful and conscious as she is.
(Mr. Peter P. F. CHAN left the meeting at this point).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, what Mr. Henry Hu wants to say is that there is no danger of any Government department working over- time and working fast. No Government department has ever been known to work expeditiously. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-Let's take a vote on this, which is, as it stands, "Resolved that this Council urges the Government to consider as soon as possible the necessary amendment to Section 45 of the Urban Council Ordinance (Cap. 101 of the Laws of Hong Kong) which reads:
"The proceedings of the Council shall be conducted in the English language";
so that both English and Chinese may be used in the Council's meetings."
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 17 votes for and 5 abstentions.
(2) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN moved the following Motion:-
"Resolved that this Council continue to press the Govern- ment to implement the recommendations of the March 1969 Urban Council Report on the Reform of Local Government.”
He said:-Mr. Chairman, seven months ago, at the March meeting of the Urban Council, I asked the Chairman whether any information had been received as to Government's views on the Urban Council's revised report on the future scope and expansion of local government.
Your reply, Mr. Chairman, was that you had discussions with Secretariat Officers (including the Colonial Secretary) and His Excellency the Governor about this matter, and that the subject would soon be referred to the Executive Council.
That reply was considered unsatisfactory by the Elected Members and they walked out of that particular meeting to register their concern at the dilatoriness and delay by Government in the implementation of positive steps towards local government reform.
Today, as far as this Council's Elected Members are concerned— and may I say too as far as many of Hongkong's four million residents are concerned we are all still in the dark as to what the Government has in mind by way of local government reform in specific terms.
Most or all of the Elected Members still feel just as frustrated and concerned at this continued snail's pace of progress in the reform of local government. Several members of the public have recently asked me whether it was not time to have another walk-out to re-emphasize the concern of the Elected Members.
My own view at this stage is that we must wait until the Unofficial Urban Councillors have had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Anthony ROYLE, the new Conservative Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who will be arriving in Hong Kong this week.
The British Labour Party, despite numerous promises, did nothing to bring about any progressive change in local government in Hong Kong. Now that the Conservatives are in power in the United King- dom, I think it is only fair that we wait for a while to see whether the Conservatives will act instead of just talk.
In Phase I of the Urban Council's March 1969 Report, it is urged that there should be an increase in the number of Elected Members. This request is eminently justifiable since without any doubt to have only ten elected members for an urban population of over three million persons is farcical, undemocratic and most inappropriate for the times in which we live.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.