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    Following is a question by Dr the Hon Fernando Cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, in the Legislative Council today (May 18):

    Regarding the setting up of Internet websites by statutory and advisory bodies, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the statutory and advisory bodies which have set up websites and in respect of each of such websites, the web address and whether the following information is available on it:

(i) a list of its members;

(ii) personal data of its members, such as their occupations, professional background and political affiliations as well as their first and re-appointment dates (please list the answers individually);

(iii) the agenda of each meeting and the relevant discussion papers;

(iv) the records of each meeting;

(v) the attendance rates of its members at meetings; and

(vi) the means to contact the relevant body;

(b) of the statutory and advisory bodies which have not yet set up their websites and the reasons for that; and

(c) whether it will require all statutory and advisory bodies to set up websites and provide the above information on the websites; if it will, when they are expected to complete setting up their websites; if not, of the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) 487 statutory and advisory bodies (ASBs) have either set up their websites or uploaded information about the board or committee concerned onto the Internet.  Please refer to the table at Annex 1 regarding the availability of information referred to in items (i) to (vi) on the respective links.

(b) 17 ASBs have not uploaded any information onto the Internet.  The reasons for not setting up their websites are at Annex 2. Six of these ASBs would upload information onto the Internet in the near future, while one ASB has plans to set up its webpage in future.  We shall encourage the remaining ASBs to upload information about the board or committee concerned onto the Internet.

(c) The Government encourages ASBs to adopt appropriate measures to enhance their transparency and accountability to the public as far as practicable.  In this connection, ASBs have adopted various transparency measures, taking into account their functions and nature of business.  These measures include, among others, issuing press releases, making relevant documents and papers of the meetings available for public inspection, and uploading onto the Internet relevant information.

    At present, personal data of ASB members such as occupation/profession as well as their first appointment and reappointment dates may be disclosed to the public upon request.  Not all ASBs upload such releasable personal data of ASB members in full onto the Internet.  We shall encourage ASBs to make available on the Internet personal data of ASB members which can be released to the public in accordance with the data protection principles of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

    We have so far not collected information pertaining to the political affiliations of ASB members.  We plan to request ASB members to provide the Government with information on their political affiliations on an optional basis with effect from June 2005.  However, these sensitive personal data will not be made available to the public except in aggregates.

Ends/Wednesday, May 18, 2005

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