(Translation)

(Letterhead: Secretariat of Legislative Councillors & Research Centre)

3 July 1996

Mrs. Vivian KAM

Chief Assistant Secretary(1)2

Dear Mrs.Kam,

In preparation for the meeting of the Bills Committee on Housing (Amendment) Bill 1996 and Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996 on 9 July 1996, please provide Administration’s reply to the question raised in paragraph 2 of the letter dated 19 June 1996 and the following questions:

1. What is the meaning of "politicize" as mentioned by the Secretary for Housing?
2. How would the two Bills politicize the Housing Authority? Please elaborate on the respective effects of the two Bills in this aspect.
3. What is the meaning of "Executive-led"?
4. How would the two Bills interfere with the Executive-led system? Please elaborate on the respective effects of the two Bills in this aspect.
5. How would the two Bills confuse the relationship between the executive machinery and the legislature? Please elaborate on the respective effects of the two Bills in this aspect.
6. Why would the arrangement for the Chairman of the Housing Authority to be elected from its members a detrimental move to its independence and impartiality?

(signed)

CHONG Yiu-kwong
for Hon Lee Wing-tat
Chairman, LegCo Panel on Housing
Encl.: Letter dated 19 June 1996

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(Translation)

(Letterhead: Secretariat of Legislative Councillors & Research Centre)

4 July 1996 Mrs. Vivian KAM
Chief Assistant Secretary(1)2

Dear Mrs. Kam,

In preparation for the meeting of the Bills Committee on Housing (Amendment) Bill 1996 and Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996 on 9 July, please provide answers to the following questions:

1. What are the attendance rates of members in all ad hoc committees under various standing committees of the Housing Authority (HA) over the last year?
2. How many times have HA members attended residents’ meeting during the last year? (Please list in the form of a table the names, dates, venues and names of organizers of such meetings.)
3. How many times have HA members met with mutual aid committees, owners’ corporations, owners’ committees, district organizations, residents’ organizations or other pressure groups during the last year? (Please list in the form of a table the names of the organizations involved, as well as the dates, venues and objectives of such meetings.)
4. Will proceedings of meetings of all HA standing committees open to the public from 1997-98? Why?
5. Will documents of all HA standing committees available for public inspection from 1997-98? Why?
6. How does the mechanism by which HA documents are classified into different level of confidentiality operate? For instance, who is responsible for deciding the confidentiality of different documents? Who is responsible for monitoring the operation of the mechanism? Do HA members have the right to decide which document may be available for public inspection?
7. What is the respective proportion of documents available for public inspection in various HA standing committees?

(signed)

CHONG Yiu-kwong
for Hon LEE Wing-tat
Chairman, LegCo Panel on Housing

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