ENG-1969 — Page 336

236

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

By virtue of the Royal Instructions, the Governor is a member of and presides over the Legislative Council. This Council consists of four ex officio members (namely the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney General, the Secretary for Home Affairs and the Financial Secretary), eight other officials and 13 unofficials. All members, except the ex officio members, are appointed by the Queen or by the Governor on the instructions of a Secretary of State.

The main functions of this Council are to enact legislation and to control the expenditure of public funds. A bill passed by the Legislative Council does not become law until the Governor gives his assent to it. The Governor may refuse to assent to the bill, in which event it does not become law. After assent, the bill becomes an Ordinance, and is then submitted to the Queen, who has power to disallow it.

It should be noted that, in addition to the Legislative Council, laws having effect within the Colony may be made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and by Her Majesty by Order in Council, in exercise either of prerogative powers or of powers conferred by an English Act of Parliament.

Procedure in the Legislative Council is in many respects similar to that of the House of Commons, with provision for public debates and for questions. During the year the number of questions asked and the number of adjournment debates initiated by the unofficial members were both greater than in previous years. The annual debate on the budget has always been an occasion for a general debate; a change made in the Standing Orders at the end of 1968 has created a second occasion for a debate on policy, which took place for the first time when the new session of the Council opened with an address by the Governor on October 1, 1969. It is intended that the budget debate in March of each year should be concerned primarily with financial and economic matters and the debate on the opening of the new session with social progress and government policy generally.

The Legislative Council meets in public about twice a month on Wednesday afternoons. The Finance Committee of the Council, which consists of the Colonial Secretary (who is Chairman), the