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UMELCO

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

The Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils (UMELCO) play an important part in helping to shape government policies, enact legislation, and bring about improvements in the public administration of Hong Kong. In addition to their membership of the Executive and Legislative Councils, all are leading members of the community who participate widely in public and community affairs. Between them, they hold many seats on the extensive network of government and community committees and boards that play such an important part in the running of Hong Kong. Because of their wide experience, their views carry considerable weight. In recent years, unofficial members have been selected from an increasingly wide spectrum of society - a process that may be expected to continue.

The unofficial members have their own office, which provides them with adminis- trative services and, under their direction, handles complaints and representations from the public on the whole range of government activity. This latter service is an important part of the duties of UMELCO. In carrying it out, unofficial members have access both to government papers and senior officials, and also may raise questions in the two councils. Hundreds of individual grievances and complaints have been rectified in this way. A significant development during the year was the work of the UMELCO Police Group, whose principal task is to monitor the handling of complaints made against the police. The UMELCO Police Group was established in 1977. In the same year, an ad hoc ICAC Complaints Committee comprising UMELCO members plus the Attorney General was also set up with a similar function in regard to complaints against the ICAC.

In addition to their formal, public contribution to the consideration and enactment of legislation at meetings of the Legislative Council, unofficial members also spend a great deal of additional time examining draft legislation in informal groups set up for this purpose. Public views, as known to members, are taken into account during these examinations, which not infrequently result in suggestions for amendments.

There is substantial informal day-to-day contact between unofficial members and government officials, during which matters of public concern and individual grievances are aired.

Urban Council

The Urban Council is a body corporate and derives its authority from the Urban Council Ordinance. It is responsible for managing its own finances and is the only body taking part in the business of government in Hong Kong to consist solely of members of the public. There are 24 members on the council, of whom 12 are appointed by the Governor and 12 are elected. The term of office for both appointed and elected members is four years, but a member may be re-appointed or re-elected for further terms. The chairman is elected by the council and can be an elected member, an appointed member or any person who is not a member but has agreed to accept election to such office. The vice-chairman is elected from among the 24 members of the council.

The council meets in public once a month, but most of its business is decided by the standing committee of the whole council and 13 select committees which meet at least once each month. In addition, there are 25 sub-committees, boards and panels.