ENG-2002 — Page 32

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

4

Executive's Question and Answer Sessions. The council passed a total of 38 bills and members asked 589 questions and 952 supplementary questions. Altogether, 209 items of subsidiary legislation were tabled in the council for consideration through the negative vetting procedure. Of the items tabled, 191 were not amended, 17 were amended and one was repealed. The Administration also moved 19 motions relating to subsidiary legislation through the positive vetting procedure and one motion debate without legislative effect. Members of the council moved 76 motions: 23 of these related to subsidiary legislation, three concerned the council's procedural matters, and 50 were for debate on a wide spectrum of issues of public interest.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee consists of all Members of the Legislative Council except the President. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the committee are elected from among its members. The committee normally meets in public on Friday afternoons to scrutinise and approve public expenditure proposals put forward by the Government. Its work includes the scrutiny of the annual Budget presented by the Financial Secretary to the Legislative Council during the proceedings related to the Appropriation Bill, which sets out the Government's annual expenditure proposals for the following financial year. During the 2001-02 session, the committee held 15 meetings and examined a total of 69 financial proposals.

There are two subcommittees under the Finance Committee. They are the Establishment Subcommittee and the Public Works Subcommittee, both of which also conduct meetings in public. Their respective memberships are open to all members of the Finance Committee.

The Establishment Subcommittee examines, and makes recommendations to the Finance Committee upon, the Government's proposals for the creation, redeployment and deletion of directorate posts, and for changes to the structure of grades and ranks in the Civil Service. During the 2001-02 session, the subcommittee held eight meetings and examined a total of 10 proposals put forward by the Administration. The Public Works Subcommittee examines, and makes recommendations to the Finance Committee upon, the Government's expenditure proposals under the Capital Works Reserve Fund for projects in the Public Works Programme and building projects carried out by or on behalf of subvented organisations. During the 2001-02 session, the subcommittee held 17 meetings and examined a total of 110 proposals put forward by the Administration.

Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) considers reports of the Director of Audit on the accounts of the Government and the results of his value-for-money audits of government departments and other organisations that are within the purview of public audit. It may invite government officials and staff of public organisations to attend public hearings to give explanations, evidence or information, or any other persons to assist it in relation to such explanations, evidence or information. The PAC's seven members are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with an election procedure determined by the council's House Committee. During the session under review, the PAC examined the Director of Audit's Report on the Accounts of the Government of the HKSAR for the year ended March 31, 2001 and the Director's two Reports on the Results of Value for Money Audits. The