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Select Committee or Working Group concerned or even the Standing Committee. In this way, discussion and examination could be carried out in greater depth and with greater focus. This would be more effective.
Secondly, the agenda of the Council's monthly meetings cover passing statutory regulations as well as asking questions about the policies and discussing them. Because of active participation of Members in these discussions, the meetings often prolong. If a question-and-answer session for the Director was introduced, I am afraid that the meetings would overrun when details of execution and management were dwelled on. On the other hand, because time is limited, some issues might be hastily taken care of without thorough deliberation. The Council's monthly meetings are therefore not the most appropriate forum for the introduction of the session. The work of an efficient representative body must be clearly demarcated, with the formulation and implementation of the broad policies separately discussed and examined, while the actual execution of the policies should be left to the Standing Committee, Select Committees, and Sub-Committees. It is only then that the Council may effectively monitor, follow up on, and even stimulate the Department's performance.
Thirdly, questions raised by Members at the Council's meetings are now answered by the Chairmen of the Select Committees. To have the questions answered by the Director would mean that the Director has replaced Members, wouldn't it? The development of democracy has been embodied by the Council, and the pattern of representative institutions is to a certain extent similar to the ministerial system, under which Members assume absolute and final responsibility for the Council. If such a pattern was changed with the introduction of the Director's answering session, confusion in Members' responsibility and role would arise.
Fourthly, the Council's meetings are normally held once every month. In emergency cases, prompt understanding of and follow-up actions on the related policies and their implementation are called for in order that solutions may be worked out. Take the incident of avian flu for instance. Despite Members' efforts in pursuing the issue at the meetings of the Select Committees, the Standing Committee, and the Council, and the series of information papers prepared by the Department, the response was still a bit late. To ask questions concerning the implementation of policies only once every month at the Council's meetings would unlikely solve any urgent problems.
I understand that the motion is aimed at strengthening monitoring and increasing the transparency of the Department's performance, but what is proposed in it is not an appropriate solution. I beseech Members to give it a second thought and identify another more effective mechanism to strengthen monitoring. Mr. Chairman, these are my remarks. Councillors who are members of the DAB are opposed to the motion.
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Select Committee or Working Group concerned or even the Standing Committee. In this way, discussion and examination could be carried out in greater depth and with greater focus. This would be more effective.
Secondly, the agenda of the Council's monthly meetings cover passing statutory regulations as well as asking questions about the policies and discussing them. Because of active participation of Members in these discussions, the meetings often prolong. If a question-and-answer session for the Director was introduced, I am afraid that the meetings would overrun when details of execution and management were dwell on. On the other hand, because time is limited, some issues might be hastily taken care of without thorough deliberation. The Council's monthly meetings are therefore not the most appropriate forum for the introduction of the session. The work of an efficient representative body must be clearly demarcated, with the formulation and implementation of the broad policies separately discussed and examined, while the actual execution of the policies should be left to the Standing Committee. Select Committees and Sub-Committees. It is only then the Council may effectively monitor, follow up on and even stimulate the Department's performance.
Thirdly, questions raised by Members at the Council's meetings are now answered by the Chairmen of the Select Committees. To have the questions. answered by the Director would mean that the Director has replaced Members, wouldn't it? The development of democracy has been embodied by the Council and the pattern of representative institutions is to a certain extent similar to the ministerial system, under which Members assume absolute and final responsibility for the Council. If such a pattern was changed with the introduction of the Director's answering session, confusion in Members' responsibility and role would arise.
Fourthly, the Council's meetings are normally held once every month. In emergency cases, prompt understanding of and follow-up actions on the related policies and their implementation are called for in order that solutions may be worked out. Take the incident of avian flu for instance. Despite Members' efforts in pursuing the issue at the meetings of the Select Committees, the Standing Committee and the Council, and the series of information papers prepared by the Department, response was still a bit late, To ask questions concerning the implementation of policies only once every month at the Council's meetings would unlikely solve any urgent problems
I understand that the motion is aimed at strengthening monitoring and increasing the transparency of the Department's performance, but what is proposed in it is not an appropriate solution. I beseech Members to give it a second thought and identify another more effective mechanism to strengthen monitoring. Mr. Chairman, these are my remarks. Councillors who are members of the DAB are opposed to the motion.
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