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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, according to Standing Orders, there should be an adequate amount of discussion on any procedural motion moved by a Member before the question is put. Mr. Chairman, I hope you will let us give our views on the procedural motion.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I now read out Standing Orders 18(1) which says that a Member may at the conclusion of a speech of another Member move that the subject of debate be referred to or back to a committee (i.e. the procedural motion proposed by Mr. Albert Lai Wing-lin). It also says that the Chairman, if in his opinion the question before the meeting has been sufficiently discussed shall, subject to the right of reply given by Standing Order 21(16), put the motion to the vote.
In fact, the motion is very clear. In particular, the proposer Mr. Stanley NG Wing-fai wrote down the situation clearly in the document and mentioned past practices. Not too many Members intend to speak. I think we may as well let them speak before putting the procedural motion to the vote, I wonder if Members agree to this arrangement. The Standing Orders state that the motion can be put to the vote provided the Chairman considers it has already been fully debated. In my opinion, there has not been any debate, not to speak of the issue being fully debated or not. In any case, only three Members have registered to speak. Under this principle and in consideration of time involved
Mr. Lai Hok-Lim (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I will speak what I feel about the handling of this. If there are three Members who have registered to speak, you would rather put the procedural motion to the vote after the debate on the original motion has been completed, you should let these three members give their opinions on the original motion first. According to Standing Order 18(2), when a motion is moved under Standing Order 18(1), (debate) on all other motions shall stop and Members shall proceed to debate and vote on the motion immediately. The motion has clearly referred to a debate on the procedural motion. If we accept the procedural motion, we may be left in embarrassment since we should, in such a case, debate on the procedural motion at once and then put it to the vote. If you think it has not been fully debated and there is no need to vote on the procedural motion at once, you should for the time being refuse to accept the procedural motion and instead go forth debating the original motion. After the three Members have spoken and Mr. Stanley Ng has exercised his right of reply, you can re-open the debate on the procedural motion and put it to the vote. If the procedural motion is not carried, you can proceed to put the question on the original motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Right. Since the original motion has not been debated on. I do not know if it has already been fully debated. So I will allow the three Members to speak on the original motion first before putting the
Page 574 of 606
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Page 574 of 606
494
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, according to Standing Orders, there should be an adequate amount of discussion on any procedural motion moved by a Member before the question is put. Mr. Chairman, I hope you will let us give our views on the procedural motion.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I now read out Standing Orders 18(1) which says that a Member may at the conclusion of a speech of another Member move that the subject of debate be referred to or back to a committee (i.e. the procedural motion proposed by Mr. Albert Lai Wing-lin). It also says that the Chairman, if in his opinion the question before the meeting has been sufficiently discussed shall, subject to the right of reply given by Standing Order 21(16), put the motion to the vote.
In fact, the motion is very clear. In particular, the proposer Mr. Stanley NG Wing-fai wrote down the situation clearly in the document and mentioned past practices. Not too many Members intend to speak. I think we may as well let them speak before putting the procedural motion to the vote, I wonder if Members agree to this arrangement. The Standing Orders state that the motion can be put to the vote provided the Chairman considers it has already been fully debated. In my opinion, there has not been any debate, not to speak of the issue being fully debated or not. In any case, only three Members have registered to speak. Under this principle and in consideration of time involved
Mr. Lai Hok-Lim (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I will speak what I feel about the handling of this. If, there are three Members who have registered to speak, you would rather put the procedural motion to the vote after the debate on the original motion has been completed, you should let these three members give their opinions on the original motion first. According to Standing Order 18(2), when a motion is moved under Standing Order 18(1), (debate) on all other motions shall stop and Members shall proceed to debate and vote on the motion immediately. The motion has clearly referred to a debate on the procedural motion. If we accept the procedural motion, we may be left in embarassment since we should, in such a case, debate on the procedural motion at once and then put it to the vote. If you think it has not been fully debated and there is no need to vote on the procedural motion at once, you should for the time being refuse to accept the procedural motion and instead go forth debating the original motion. After the three Members have spoken and Mr. Stanley Ng has exercised his right of reply, you can re-open the debate on the procedural motion and put it to the vote. If the procedural motion is not carried, you can proceed to put the question on the original motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Right. Since the original motion has not been debated on. I do not know if it has already been fully debated. So I will allow the three Members to speak on the original motion first before putting the
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