How many Members are needed for a quorum for a Council meeting?
Answer
The quorum is not less than one half of all Members including the President.
Q2
Is the President's deputy chosen by the President of the Legislative Council?
Answer
No. The Member elected as the chairman of the House Committee is ex officio the President's deputy.
Q3
Will there be no Council meeting if the President is absent?
Answer
In the absence of the President from a Council meeting, the President's deputy will preside at that meeting.
Q4
Does the President have voting right?
Answer
Yes. However, it is a practice that the President does not vote in the Council to maintain his/her neutrality.
Q5
How is the President of the Legislative Council elected?
Answer
The President is elected by and from among Legislative Council Members.
Q6
If a Member would like to present a bill relating to government policies, whose written consent shall be sought?
Answer
The Chief Executive of the HKSAR.
Q7
What is the difference between the scope of debate in the Second Reading debate and that in the committee of the whole Council during the legislative process?
Answer
While the Second Reading debate is focusing on the general merits and principles of the bill, the committee of the whole Council will not discuss the principles of the bill but only whether it supports the amendments proposed to the bill, and whether the clauses should stand part of the bill.
Q8
How many votes of the Members present are required for the passage of a motion moved by the Government?
Answer
It requires a majority vote of the Members present.
Q9
What are the requirements for the passage of a motion introduced by a Member?
Answer
It requires a majority vote of each of the two groups of Members present, i.e. (i) Members returned by the Election Committee; and (ii) those returned by functional constituencies and by geographical constituencies through direct elections.
Q10
If a Member states that he/she voted in error, may he/she claim to have the vote altered?
Answer
Yes, if the Member's statement is made before the President has declared the result of the division.
Q11
How many questions may Members put to the Government at a Council meeting?
Answer
Normally, not more than 22 questions may be put to the Government at any one Council meeting (no more than six questions requiring an oral reply and 16 questions requiring written replies from the Government).
Q12
On what ground may a Member ask permission from the President to ask a question at a Council meeting without notice?
Answer
On the ground that the question is of an urgent character and relates to a matter of public importance.
Q13
In what situation may the President direct a Member to discontinue the speech?
Answer
The President may direct a Member to discontinue the speech if the Member persists in irrelevance or tedious repetition of his/her own or other Members' arguments in the debate.
Q14
May the President call a meeting when the Legislative Council is in recess?
Answer
Yes, during any period when the Legislative Council is in recess between the end of one session and the beginning of the next session, the President may call special Council meetings.
Q15
How are the seats in the Chamber allocated?
Answer
Members in larger groups will have priority in selecting the block of seats over those in smaller groups and individual Members. For Members with the same group size or Members not belonging to any group, lots will be drawn to determine their relative priority in selecting seats.
Q16
Can Members bring in objects for display at a Council meeting?
Answer
Members may display objects that are related to the agenda of the meeting for illustrating the points in their speeches while they are speaking, subject to the relevant conditions being met by the objects to be displayed, including that they will not disturb the proceedings of the meeting.
