Legislative Council Annual Report 2017-2018

The Sixth Legislative Council ("LegCo") sailed through an eventful first session and operated smoothly at large in the 2017-2018 legislative session. I amdelighted to see a number of encouraging changes amid challenges. In this session, one of the most controversial businesses that the Council dealt with was amendments to the Rules of Procedure ("RoP") of LegCo which govern the proceedings on transaction of business in the Council. Since the Fourth LegCo, there have been calls for amendment to RoP to deal with filibuster tactics deployed by some Members to delay the proceedings of the Council and the FinanceCommittee ("FC") as ameans toexpressdisapproval of certaingovernment policies or to demand certain causes. On many occasions the Committee on Rules of Procedure ("CRoP") had studied various procedural options to deal with filibusters and had consulted Members, but no consensus could be reached. The Council eventually passed on 15 December 2017 two resolutions respectively movedbytwoMembers toamend50Rules inRoP. Apart fromtextual amendments, therewere substantive amendments such as the number ofMembers constituting a quorum of a committee of the whole Council, the procedure for following up a petition presented to the Council as well as the President's power to reconvene a Council meeting to complete the unfinished business on the agenda after the adjournment of the Council because of a lack of a quorum. President's Foreword Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, President of the Legislative Council. 2 Legislative Council Annual Report 2017-2018