RULES OF PROCEDURE OF
THE PROVISIONAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF
THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

MADE BY THE PROVISIONAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF
THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
ON 12 APRIL 1997.



PART B
SESSION, MEETINGS AND ADJOURNMENTS OF THE COUNCIL




11. Session

      The session of the Council shall end on the dissolution of the Council but shall not extend beyond 30 June 1998.



12. The Chief Executive Address

   (1) The Chief Executive, if he so wishes, shall address the Council after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (Amended 21 June 1997)

   (2) At a meeting not less than 14 days after the Chief Executive has addressed the Council, a motion may be moved without notice for an address of thanks to the Chief Executive for his address.

   (3) A motion under subrule (2) of this Rule shall be moved in the following form:

"That this Council thanks the Chief Executive for his address."

   (4) Amendments may be moved to the motion described in subrule (3) of this Rule only by way of adding words at the end of the motion and may be moved without notice.

   (5) (Deleted 21 June 1997)



13. Commencement of Meetings

   (1) Meetings of the Council shall be held on such days and shall begin at such hour as the President shall determine but a period of six weeks shall not elapse between the date of one meeting and the date appointed for the next meeting.

   (2) Written notice of every meeting of the Council shall be given by the Clerk to Members at least 14 clear days before the day of the meeting but in cases of emergency and meetings held for the purposes of Rule 8 (Attendance of the Chief Executive) the President may dispense with such notice and in that event the longest possible notice shall be given.

   (3) The President may, at any time after he has determined the day and hour upon which a meeting is to begin, change the day or hour so determined to a later day or hour, or to an earlier day or hour.



14. Meetings for Urgent Business

   (1) The President shall call emergency meetings on the request of the Chief Executive.

   (2) These Rules of Procedure shall apply to an emergency meeting of the Council called by the President under subrule (1).



15. Time of Meeting

   (1) When in the opinion of the President it is necessary for the proper completion of the business on the Agenda of the Council at a meeting of the Council to continue any unfinished business on another day, the President may order that the meeting shall continue on such other day for that purpose. Where the President so orders at a meeting of the Council, the meeting shall stand suspended and shall resume for the continuation of business on such other day.

   (2) The President may at any time suspend a meeting or adjourn the Council.



16. Motions for the Adjournment of the Council

   (1) When for any sufficient reason it is not desired to formulate a motion in express terms for the purpose of debating an issue or issues, a motion that the Council do now adjourn may be moved for the purpose of such a debate.

   (2) Such a motion shall not require notice and may be moved only between two items of business. It may be moved by a Member or any designated public officer attending the meeting, with the permission of the President, if the President is satisfied that the adjournment is for the purpose of discussing a specific issue of urgent public importance.

   (3) If such a motion shall be agreed to, the Council shall stand adjourned.

   (4) At the conclusion of all the business on the Agenda of the Council a Member may move that this Council do now adjourn, for the purpose of raising any issue concerning public interest, with a view to eliciting a reply from a designated public officer.

   (5) A Member who wishes to move a motion under the provisions of subrule (4) of this Rule shall give notice of the issue in writing to the Clerk not less than 7 clear days before the meeting at which he wishes to do so:

Provided that the President may in his discretion dispense with such notice.

   (6) If at the expiration of 45 minutes, or such longer period as the President may at any meeting determine, from the moving of a motion under subrule (4) of this Rule a designated public officer has not yet been called upon to reply, the President shall direct the Member then speaking to resume his seat and shall call upon a designated public officer to reply.

   (7) If at the expiration of one hour, or such longer period as the President may at any meeting determine, from the moving of the motion under subrule (4) of this Rule such motion has not been agreed to, the President shall adjourn the Council without putting any question.



17. Quorum

   (1) The quorum of the Council and of a committee of the whole Council shall be not less than one half of all its Members including the President or Chairman.

   (2) If the attention of the P