For discussion
on 2 February 1996

FCR(95-96)119

ITEM FOR FINANCE COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP OF ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE AND
PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE

Members are requested to advise whether any Finance Committee Member who is not yet members of either Establishment Subcommittee or Public Works Subcommittee be permitted, as an exceptional arrangement, to signify membership of one or both of these two Subcommittees on or before 16 February 1996.



PROBLEM

In the light of the House Committee's decision on 19 January 1996 that the Administration should refer all major financial proposals to LegCo Panels before submission to the Finance Committee (FC) for approval, there is a need to consider whether any changes to the present system will be necessary to facilitate the examination of financial proposals. Following the agreement that Members be given two weeks to join the Panels of which they are not yet members, it has been suggested that any FC Members who are not yet members of one or both of the two Subcommittees of the FC should be allowed to re-signify membership so that they will be in a position to comment at a later stage if any changes to the present system, in particular the role and functions of the Subcommittees, are necessary.

2. According to the Establishment Subcommittee (ESC) and Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC) procedures, FC Members should elect to join the Subcommittees by informing the Clerk in writing not later than one clear working day before the first meeting of the Subcommittees in a new legislative session. Late membership is only accepted on grounds of indisposition or absence from Hong Kong. The re-opening of the Subcommittees for new membership is therefore not in line with the present procedures and approval should be sought from the FC which, according to Standing Order No. 60 (11), shall determine the practice and procedure of the FC and its Subcommittees.

PROPOSAL

3. Members are requested to advise whether any FC Member who is not yet members of either ESC or PWSC be permitted, as an exceptional arrangement, to signify membership of one or both of these two Subcommittees on or before 16 February 1996.

Implementation plan

4. Subject to Members' agreement to the proposal, a circular will be issued to all FC Members inviting Members who wish to join the Subcommittees to notify the respective Clerks in writing on or before 16 February 1996. Members who are currently members of the two Subcommittees need not re-signify membership.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

5. Under Standing Order No. 60 (2B), the FC may appoint subcommittees for the purpose of assisting the FC in the performance of such functions of the FC as the FC may determine. Two subcommittees have been appointed and they are the ESC and PWSC. These Subcommittees assist the FC in examining financial proposals within their terms of reference and make recommendations to the FC, but they have no independent functions or powers. It is the FC that must make the decisions; and in doing so, the FC is not bound in any way by the recommendations of the Subcommittees.

6. The terms of reference of the two Subcommittees are set out in Enclosures 1 and 2.

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Legislative Council Secretariat
January 1996

(E4177/p.1-p.2/WIN68)

Enclosure 1 to FCR(95-96)119

Terms of Reference of the Establishment Subcommittee

The terms of reference of the Establishment Subcommittee are -

(a)To consider submissions from the Administration and, as appropriate, to recommend to Finance Committee -

(i)the creation, redeployment and deletion of permanent and supernumerary posts remunerated from the directorate pay scales;

(ii)the retention in the draft Estimates of supernumerary directorate posts;

(iii)the creation of supernumerary posts held against permanent posts in ranks with a lower notional annual mid-point salary value;

(iv)the creation of positions for directorate level consultancies for individuals lasting more than one year;

(v)changes to the departmental establishment ceilings shown in the Estimates;

(vi)changes to the arrangements for the creation, redeployment and deletion of directorate posts;

(vii)changes to the structure of civil service ranks and grades (including pay scales, new grades and new ranks) recommended by the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service, or the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service, or the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service, or the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service, and the consequential creation and deletion of posts in affected ranks; and

(viiii)changes to the organisational structure of the Government and consequential transfers of posts.

(b)To report to Finance Committee on changes in departmental establishments shown in the draft Estimates and on the size and cost of the civil service.

(E4177/p.3-p.4/WIN68)


Enclosure 2 to FCR(95-96)119

Terms of Reference of the Public Works Subcommittee

The terms of reference of the Public Works Subcommittee are to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of projects to or downgrading from Category A of the Public Works Programme, or changes to the scope and/or approved project estimates of projects currently in Category A of the Public Works Programme.

(E4177/p.5/WIN68)