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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council will hold a meeting this Wednesday (January 9) at 11 am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on the Report on Public Consultation on Green Paper on Constitutional Development.
The motion, to be moved by Hon Albert Chan, states: "That this Council strongly condemns that the Report on Public Consultation on Green Paper on Constitutional Development published on December 12, 2007 by the Administration has given a distorted account of public aspirations for expeditiously implementing dual universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, and has failed to provide a specific and clear timetable as well as a roadmap for dual universal suffrage, thus universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council cannot be fully implemented at an early date; in addition, this Council considers that dual universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council should be implemented by no later than 2012"
Dr Hon Yeung Sum, Hon Lee Cheuk-yan, Hon Alan Leong Kah-kit, Hon Ronny Tong Ka-wah and Hon Leung Kwok-hung will move separate amendments to Hon Albert Chan's motion.
Members will also debate a motion on setting up a fund to meet the needs of the ageing population and help the poor. The motion, to be proposed by Hon Tam Heung-man, says: "That, as the SAR Government may record a huge fiscal surplus in the 2007-2008 financial year and it is anticipated that the Government will have considerable surplus in the next few years, this Council urges the Government, in addition to appropriately increasing the expenditures on education, medical services, social welfare and promotion of economic development, as well as implementing one-off relief measures such as tax rebates or rates exemption, to set aside part of its surplus for setting up a long-term sustainable fund to meet the additional expenditures arising from implementing policies to cope with the ageing population and help the poor and, at the same time, establish a funding mechanism for the fund under which a certain proportion of the surplus will be injected into the fund if the fiscal surplus in a financial year exceeds a certain level, so as to maintain the fund's effective operation."
Hon Sin Chung-kai, Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki and Hon Tam Yiu-chung will move separate amendments to Hon Tam Heung-man's motion.
On bills, the Trade Descriptions (Amendment) Bill 2007, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007 and the Product Eco-responsibility Bill will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Debates on the Bills will be adjourned. Meanwhile, Second Reading Debate on the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2007 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will then go through the Committee Stage and be read the third time.
On Members' bill, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Declaration of C W Chu College, Wu Yee Sun College and Lee Woo Sing College as Constituent Colleges) Bill will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Debate on the Bill will be adjourned.
During the meeting, Members will also ask the Administration 20 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the Legislative Council InfoFax Service (Tel: 2869 9568) or the Legislative Council web site (www.legco.gov.hk).
Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Legislative Council Chamber. They may reserve seats by calling 2869 9399 during office hours. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Members of the public can also listen to the meeting via the audio webcast system on the Legislative Council homepage.
Ends/Monday, January 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:58
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