ENG-1998 — Page 42

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

10

The election for the first Legislative Council of the HKSAR was held on May 24 in accordance with the Basic Law and the legal framework set out in the Legislative Council Ordinance. A record 1.49 million people voted, representing a historically high turnout rate of 53.3 per cent. Sixty members were returned through an open and fair election. The council began its term on July 1. Its first meeting was on July 2, when Mrs Rita Fan was elected President and the council also endorsed its Rules of Procedure.

The Legislative Council normally meets every Wednesday afternoon in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building to transact business which includes tabling of subsidiary legislation and other papers and reports for the council's consideration; questions for replies by the government; the consideration of bills and resolutions; and debates on motions relating to matters of public concern.

All council meetings of the Legislative Council are open to the public and are conducted in Cantonese, Putonghua or English with simultaneous interpretation provided. The proceedings of the meetings are recorded verbatim in the Official Record of Proceedings of the Legislative Council.

Up to December 1998, the Legislative Council held 20 meetings and enacted eight bills. A total of 144 pieces of subsidiary legislation were tabled in council; while 335 questions and 547 supplementary questions were asked. From July to December 1998, 60 motions were debated, of which 49 were moved by members, including nine on the council's procedural and administrative matters, nine on government subsidiary legislation, and 31 for debate on a wide spectrum of issues of public importance.

The Chief Executive delivered his policy address in the council on October 7 and attended a briefing session the following day, taking 27 questions from members.

Besides attending council meetings, members also scrutinise bills, control public expenditure and monitor the government's performance through a system of committees. There are three standing committees: the Finance Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Members' Interests. The Legislative Council also has a House Committee, a Committee on Rules of Procedure and 17 panels.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee consists of all council members except the President. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman are elected from among its members. It normally meets in public to scrutinise and approve public expenditure proposals put forward by the government. These include the scrutiny of the Annual Budget presented by the Financial Secretary to the Legislative Council in the form of an Appropriation Bill, which sets out the government's annual expenditure proposals for the following financial year. During the 1998-99 legislative session, the committee held 11 regular meetings and examined 44 financial proposals from July to December.

Two subcommittees exist under the Finance Committee. They are the Establishment Subcommittee and the Public Works Subcommittee, both of which also conduct meetings in public. The Establishment Subcommittee examines and makes recommendations to the Finance Committee on the government's proposals for the creation, redeployment, and deletion of directorate posts, and for changes.