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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session after attending a special meeting of the Legislative Council House Committee at the Legislative Council Complex today (October 12):
Reporter: Mrs Lam, if I could, two short questions that are connected. The first one is on the Commission of Inquiry. Will this resemble, for example, the Commission of Inquiry that we had on the Garley Building or more like the one on the airport, and what kind of person do you want? And secondly, will the Commission, will its ambit include, for example, looking at the notification system, because you told the legislators you and the Chief Executive did not know till 20 minutes after what had happened?
Chief Secretary for Administration: Well, I think the notification system re-examination does not have to be left to the Commission of Inquiry. This is an administrative issue, which as the Chief Secretary I am obliged to look at it, and I'm in fact looking at it. As far as the first question is concerned, this Commission of Inquiry is set up under the Commissions of Inquiry Ordinance, so in respect of that it is of the same status as the Garley Building fire Commission of Inquiry, as well as the new airport inquiry. But in terms of nature, of course, as I said at the house committee meeting, it resembles more the Garley Building fire because of its tragedy, because of the nature of the incident. So in looking for the suitable person to make up this Commission, we are also working in the same direction of finding a highly credible judge to preside over this Commission, and we are working at that and I hope we should be able to invite the Executive Council to formally appoint the Commission of Inquiry as soon as possible.
Reporter: There was a difference between the two Commissions of Inquiry. One was one judge and one had two persons. That's the difference.
Chief Secretary for Administration: I said repeatedly on this matter of a Commission of Inquiry that by law the CE in C (Chief Executive in Council) can appoint one person, or more than one person. Where the CE in C appoints more than one person, then he will have to appoint one as the Chairman of the Commission. At this point in time, we have not totally made up our mind whether the Commission of Inquiry to look into this Lamma vessel collision should be one person or more than one person. But what I can be quite certain is we are moving in a direction of looking for a judge to form this Commission.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, October 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:37
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