LegCo Paper No. CB(2) 1706/96-97
Ref : CB2/BC/8/96

Bills Committee on
Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 1997

Minutes of 1st meeting
held on Wednesday, 19 March 1997 at 2:15 pm
in Conference Room A of the Legislative Council Building

Members Present :

Dr Hon LAW Chi-kwong (Chairman)
STRONG>Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung, OBE, JP
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
Hon Howard YOUNG, JP
Hon LEE Kai-ming

Member Absent :

Hon Michael HO Mun-ka

Clerk in Attendance :

Mrs Percy MA

Chief Assistant Secretary (House Committee)

Staff in Attendance:

Ms Christine LIU

Senior Assistant Secretary (2)8

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I Election of Chairman
II Invitation of Submission

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I Election of Chairman

Dr LAW Chi-kwong was elected Chairman of the Bills Committee.

II Invitation of Submission

Mr Fred LI informed members that the Administration had briefed the Panel on Welfare Services on the Bill. Since the parents of the mentally handicapped persons had urged for early passage of the Bill, he had, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Panel, written to the Hong Kong Medical Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association seeking their views on the Bill, pending activation of the Bills Committee.

Dr LEONG Che-hung advised members that the Hong Kong Medical Association had already given their comments on the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 1997 to the Administration.

In response to members, the Clerk said that it was unlikely for the Bills Committee on the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 1997 to be activated at the next House Committee meeting on 21 March 1997. The Chairman suggested and members agreed that, unless the Bills Committee could be activated at the House Committee meeting on 4 April 1997, the policy aspects of the Bill should be discussed at the next meeting of the Panel on Welfare Services to be held on 11 April 1997. All members of the Bills Committee should be invited to attend the meeting.

(Post-meeting note : Clerk to the Panel was advised accordingly after the meeting.)

The Chairman proposed and members agreed that the following organizations should be invited for written submissions on the Bill -

- The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists
- The Hong Kong Dental Association
- Hong Kong Council of Social Service
- Hong Kong Joint Council of Parents of the Mentally Handicapped
- The Parents’ Association of Pre-school Handicapped Children
- Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association Limited
- Association of Parents of the Severely Mentally Handicapped
- St. James’ Settlement
- Po Leung Kuk

The Chairman said that some of the organizations listed above might prepare a joint submission.

The meeting ended at 2:30 pm.

Legislative Council Secretariat
4 April 1997