ENG-1991 — Page 33

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

concerns before introduction to the legislature. The Governor in Council, that is the Governor acting in consultation with the Executive Council, is Hong Kong's central and most important executive authority.

In addition to policy matters, the Governor in Council determines appeals, petitions and objections under those ordinances which confer a statutory right of appeal. The council also considers all principal legislation before it is introduced into the Legislative Council, and is responsible for making subsidiary legislation under numerous ordinances. The council's advice on matters of policy involving the expenditure of public funds is subject to the approval of the necessary funds by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.

Legislative Council

The Legislative Council is constituted by virtue of the Letters Patent. Its primary function is the enactment of legislation, including legislation for the appropriation of public funds. A bill passed by the Legislative Council does not become law until the Governor gives his assent to it. After the Governor's assent a bill becomes an ordinance without being subject to external approval, although the Queen has reserve powers to disallow an ordinance. The power of disallowance has not been used for many years.

The President of the Legislative Council is the Governor. For the first time in the history of the council, the Governor has appointed a Deputy President from among the 60 members of the council, the composition of which is as follows: three ex-officio members, namely the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary and the Attorney General, 18 appointed members and 39 elected members.

The appointed members are appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Secretary of State. Elected members are elected separately by functional constituencies and by geographical constituencies.

There are 15 functional constituencies returning a total of 21 members to the Legislative Council. Each functional constituency represents an occupational or professional group: commercial; industrial; finance and financial services; labour; social services; medical and health care; teaching; legal; engineering, architectural, surveying and planning; account- ancy; real estate and construction; tourism; Urban Council; Regional Council, and rural. Of these the commercial; industrial; finance and financial services; labour; medical and health care and engineering, architectural, surveying and planning functional con- stituencies return two Legislative Council members each while the other nine return one member each.

There are nine geographical constituencies, each of which returns two members to the council. They follow closely the district board boundaries and are: Hong Kong Island East, Hong Kong Island West, Kowloon East, Kowloon Central, Kowloon West, NT North, NT East, NT West and NT South.

Elections are normally held at four-year intervals. The Governor has power to dissolve the council; on dissolution all elected members vacate their seats and an election must be held within three months. A by-election is held should a casual vacancy arise.

The Legislative Council meets in public once a week, but takes a recess of about two months in August and September. Proceedings are bilingual; members may address the council in Cantonese and English, and simultaneous interpretation is provided.

Legislation is enacted in the form of bills, which go through three readings and a committee stage. Most business, including bills, is transacted by way of motions, which are

19