Legislative Council Annual Report 2016-2017

encouraged by the incumbent CE's pledge to build a better working relationship with the Legislature by setting up a mechanism for regular communication with Members, advancing the delivery of the Policy Address to the beginning of a legislative session in October, advising the Secretaries of Bureaux to lobby and liaise with Members personally, as well as increasing the frequency of attending LegCo meetings to take questions from Members. Furthermore, CRoP has also studied and supported my suggestion for CE to attend Council meetings more frequently with a view to improving the efficiency in monitoring the work of the Government by Members. All Members were consulted and they welcomed this new arrangement. In addition to the regular CE's Question and Answer Sessions, CEhas agreed toattendat least oneCouncilmeetingeachmonth to takeMembers' questions. I hope all the above initiatives will bear fruits in the near future. I also look forward to more dialogue and exchanges between Members and the Mainland authorities on issues of mutual concern. In April 2017, the LegCo Panel on Development conducted a duty visit to the Dongjiang River Basin to exchange views with Guangdong Provincial authorities on the supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong. When suitable opportunities arise, I am glad to explore options of arranging all my honourable colleagues to visit the Mainland. Last but not least, I would like to thank the Secretariat staff for their professional and untiring support to the Council and all Members to ensure the smooth operation of the Council amid challenges. Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, GBS, JP President Legislative Council Legislative Council Annual Report 2016-2017 7