ENG-2004 — Page 32

6 Constitution and Administration

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 appointed by the President of the Legislative Council. During the session under review, the Committee held six meetings.

Bills Committees

Any member, other than the President, may join a bills committee formed by the House Committee to consider the principles and general merits of a bill allocated for scrutiny. It may also consider the detailed provisions and amendments relevant to the bill. A bills committee usually tables a report in Council and is dissolved on the passage of the bill or when the House Committee so decides. During the 2003-2004 session, the Legislative Council set up 35 bills committees to scrutinise bills introduced into the Council, including the Buildings (Amendment) Bill 2003, Companies (Amendment) Bill 2003, Education (Amendment) Bill 2002, Human Organ Transplant (Amendment) Bill 2001, Land Titles Bill,

Titles Bill, Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) (Amendment) Bill 2003, Town Planning (Amendment) Bill 2003, and United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) (Amendment) Bill 2003.

Subcommittees on subsidiary legislation

During the 2003-2004 session, 14 subcommittees were formed by the House. Committee to consider 18 items of subsidiary legislation tabled in Council, and six proposed resolutions presented by the Government for the Council's approval.

Panels

The Legislative Council has established 18 panels to monitor and examine the Government's policies and issues of public concern which relate to their respective policy areas. These panels also give views on major legislative or financial proposals before their introduction into the Legislative Council or the Finance Committee, and examine relevant policy matters referred to them.

Select Committees

The Legislative Council may appoint Select Committees to enable members to consider matters or bills. Select Committees report to the Council after they have completed consideration of such matters.

In response to public concern over the quality of public housing, the Legislative Council appointed a Select Committee on February 7, 2001 to inquire into the matter. The Select Committee submitted its first report to the Council on January 22, 2003 and its second report on May 12, 2004.

The Legislative Council also appointed a Select Committee on October 29, 2003 to inquire into the handling of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak by the Government and the Hospital Authority in order to examine the performance and accountability of the Government and the Hospital Authority and their officers at policy-making and management levels in that regard. The Select Committee held 30