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Following is the transcript of the media session given by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, at the Legislative Council Building after the Chief Executive's question and answer session this (October 12) afternoon:

Reporter: Mr Tung has proposed to set up a new system of public accountability. What do you think?

Chief Secretary: I am not sure that Mr Tung has said a new system of accountability. I think what he has suggested in his Policy Address is that the public expectation is that in terms of accountability, it should be more clearly spelled out. My colleagues and I feel that this is, in fact, an opportune time to look at the whole question of accountability. It is not that at present we don't have a system of accountability. We do have a system of accountability. We have well-defined disciplinary proceedings and if any principal official for that matter, any civil servant found to be in breach of these rules, we will take appropriate action. We would welcome a thorough appraisal of the current system so that in the future the part to be played by principal officials in the formulation and determination of policy is clearly spelled out. And on that basis we can define where accountability should rest.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)

End/Thursday, October 12, 2000

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