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Constitution and Administration

The committee's two subcommittees, the Establishment Subcommittee and Public Works Subcommittee, also meet in public. Membership of both is open to all members of the Finance Committee.

The Establishment Subcommittee examines and makes recommendations to the Finance. Committee on the government's proposals to create, redeploy and delete directorate posts, and to change the structure of civil service grades and ranks.

The Public Works Subcommittee examines and makes recommendations to the Finance Committee on the government's proposals to upgrade capital works projects to, or downgrade them from, Category A of the Public Works Programme, or concerning changes to the scope of, and approved estimates for, Category A projects.

In the 2015-16 session, the Finance Committee held 88 meetings to scrutinise financial proposals, eight special meetings comprising 21 sessions to examine the Estimates of Expenditure and one meeting to receive the Financial Secretary's briefing on the Budget. Of the 140 financial proposals put forward by the government, the committee completed deliberation on 135 financial proposals, approving 134 and rejecting one. The 134 approved proposals included $88.23 billion worth of 70 public works proposals, 32 establishment proposals and 32 non-public works financial proposals.

Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee considers the Director of Audit's reports on the government's accounts and the results of the director's value-for-money audits of government departments and other organisations that are within the purview of public audit. It may invite government officials, representatives of public organisations or any other persons to attend public hearings. to give explanations, evidence or information. The seven members of the committee are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council according to an election procedure determined by the House Committee.

In 2015-16, the committee held nine public hearings and 17 closed meetings. It examined the Director of Audit's report on the government's accounts for the year ended 31 March 2015 and the reports on the value-for-money audits (reports 65 and 66). The committee gave its conclusions and recommendations in its reports 65 and 66, which were tabled in council on 17 February and 13 July 2016 respectively. The Government Minutes in response to the two reports were tabled in council on 25 May and 2 November 2016.

Committee on Members' Interests

The Committee on Members' interests consists of seven members who are appointed by the President of the Legislative Council according to an election procedure determined by the House Committee. It considers complaints made in relation to (1) council members' registration and declaration of interests, and (2) members' claims for the reimbursement of operating expenses or applications for advance of operating funds. It also examines arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests, considers matters of ethics related to members' conduct, and gives advice and issues guidelines on such

matters.

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