*********************************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, and the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo), Mr Lam Woon-kwong, at a media session this afternoon (July 3) at the ground floor lobby of the Office of the Chief Executive at Tamar after the Chief Executive chaired the first ExCo meeting with the new-term ExCo members:
Chief Executive: Today is the first meeting of the newly formed Executive Council, and therefore I am accompanying Non-official Members of the Executive Council to meet the press. Shortly, I shall invite the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, Mr W K Lam, to say a few words to the media. I also just announced that on Tuesdays, which is the day of the week when Executive Council will be in session, I would like to invite members of the press to come inside the building to be in this area, and hope this new measure is welcomed by members of the media because summer is looming large and this is air-conditioned, the outside is not. I hope this measure is welcomed by you.
Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council: The role of the Executive Councillors is to assist the Chief Executive in making decisions on major policies and legislation. The Non-official Members this morning had a useful exchange and sharing with the team on how we may work together more effectively with the official team in the Government so that we can have more opportunities to understand and to participate in the policymaking, and in the process to help make our decision process more efficient and more to the point. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:24
NNNN