ENG-2002 — Page 33

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

PAC held 19 public hearings and 32 internal meetings during the period. The conclusions and recommendations of the committee are contained in PAC Report Nos. 37 and 38 tabled in the Legislative Council on February 6 and July 10, 2002, respectively.

Committee on Members' Interests

The Committee on Members' Interests considers matters pertaining to members' declaration of interests and matters of ethics in relation to their conduct. It is also empowered to investigate complaints regarding members' registration and declaration of interests, and make recommendations to the council relating to matters concerning members' interests. The committee examines arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests. The committee comprises seven members who are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with an election procedure determined by the House Committee.

House Committee

The House Committee consists of all members except the President. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the committee are elected by the members of the House Committee. The committee normally meets on Friday afternoons and is responsible for dealing with matters related to the work of the Legislative Council and preparing members for council meetings. It decides whether bills committees or subcommittees should be formed to scrutinise bills and subsidiary legislation. During the 2001-02 session, a total of 30 regular meetings of the House Committee were held.

Apart from the regular meetings, the House Committee held three special meetings during the session under review to discuss with the Chief Secretary for Administration various issues of public concern.

Committee on Rules of Procedure

The Committee on Rules of Procedure is responsible for reviewing the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council and its committees, and proposing to the council such amendments or changes as are considered necessary. The committee consists of 12 members who are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council in accordance with an election procedure determined by the House Committee. During the session under review, the committee held a total of six meetings and deliberated on a wide range of subjects.

Bills Committees

Any member, other than the President, may join a bills committee formed by the House Committee to consider the general merits, principles and detailed provisions of a bill allocated to it for scrutiny. It may also propose amendments relevant to the bill. A bills committee usually tables a report in council after it has completed its task. It is dissolved on the passage of the bill concerned through the Legislative Council or when the House Committee so decides. During the 2001-02 session, the Legislative Council set up 44 bills committees to scrutinise bills introduced into the council, including the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2002, Public Officers Pay Adjustment Bill, and the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Bill.

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