HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
313
Just now the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee mentioned that he and the Chairman of the Urban Council had privately contacted the Chairmen concerned of the Regional Council. While we understand that these private contacts might be of help to the communication between the two Councils, we do not quite appreciate such a practice.
In this age when transparency is being sought for, I believe that an established mechanism should better meet the aspiration of society and be more effective in promoting communication and cooperation between the two Councils.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
PROF. SHANE SEE SZE-YONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, just now a number of Members have spoken on the in-coordination between the Provisional Urban Council and Provisional Regional Council (the two Councils). At the same time, we are aware of the fact that the Chief Executive mentioned in the policy address the need to review the district organizations.
I agree with the several Members who have spoken. We can all see that there is a need to review the relationship and coordination between the two Councils. Now that the Chief Executive has already laid down the timetable for an overall review, I consider that it is a bit improper for us to conduct unilaterally a review of issues such as the role of the two Councils. We should rather conduct a review of the future development of the district organizations proposed by the Chief Executive. I think it is more proper for us to conduct a review from a direction of this level. He has only laid down a timetable and I consider it to be rather tight. For this reason, Ms. Jennifer Chow Kit-bing asked just now whether there was a need to set up a joint committee to solve the problem.
As far as this question is concerned, I agree that the Urban Council should adopt a more active approach, but I consider that since it is an overall review of the district organizations, the question of what active approach the Urban Council should adopt has to be considered. The Chief Executive has raised the issue of how a review of the future development of the district organizations should be conducted. Could the Council set up a working group to complete some groundwork in respect of this issue and put up some suggestions? I wonder whether this should be done as soon as possible, since the Chief Executive has already fixed the schedule. If the Council considers that a working group may be set up, it should fix the timetable for positive proposals. I consider that if we just wait and follow up only after some other people have done a lot, it would be too passive of us. I would therefore suggest that since we all agree there is the problem of coordination between the two Councils and that there is a need to solve the problem in the context of an overall review of the district organizations, I hope that under such circumstances, everybody will agree with me to the early establishment of a working group, which will conduct an overall review of the future development of the district
Page 316 of 654
Page 316 of 654
Page 316 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
313
Just now the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee mentioned that he and the Chairman of the Urban Council had privately contacted the Chairmen concerned of the Regional Council. While we understand that these private contacts might be of help to the communication between the two Couëcils, we do not quite appreciate such a practice.
In this age when transparency is being sought for, I believe that an established mechanism should better meet the aspiration of society and be more effective in promoting communication and cooperation between the two Councils.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
PROF. SHANE SEE SZE-YONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, just now a number of Members have spoken on the in-coordination between the Provisional Urban Council and Provisional Regional Council (the two Councils). At the same time, we are aware of the fact that the Chief Executive mentioned in the policy address the need to review the district organizations.
I agree with the several Members who have spoken. We can all see that there is a need to review the relationship and coordination between the two Councils. Now that the Chief Executive has already laid down the timetable for an overall review, I consider that it is a bit improper for us to conduct unilaterally a review of issues such as the role of the two Councils. We should rather conduct a review of the future development of the district organizations proposed by the Chief Executive. I think it is more proper for us to conduct a review from a direction of this level. He has only laid down a timetable and I consider it to be rather tight. For this reason, Ms. Jennifer Chow Kit-bing asked just now whether there was a need to set up a joint committee to solve the problem.
As far as this question is concerned, I agree that the Urban Council should adopt a more active approach, but I consider that since it is an overall review of the district organizations, the question of what active approach the Urban Council should adopt has to be considered. The Chief Executive has raised the issue of how a review of the future development of the district organizations should be conducted. Could the Council set up working group to complete some groundwork in respect of this issue and put up some suggestions? I wonder whether this should be done as soon as possible, since the Chief Executive has already fixed the schedule. If the Council considers that a working group may be set up, it should fix the timetable for positive proposals. I consider that if we just wait and follow up only after some other people have done a lot, it would be too passive of us. I would therefore suggest that since we all agree there is the problem of coordination between the two Councils and that there is a need to solve the problem in the context of an overall review of the district organizations, I hope that under such circumstances, everybody will agree with me to the early establishment of a working group, which will conduct an overall review of the future development of the district
Dage 316 of 654
Page 316 of 654
Page 316 of 654
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.