Legislative Council

LC Paper No. CB(3) 262/98-99

Ref: CB(3)/SC/PL

Paper for the House Committee Meeting
on 18 September 1998

Report of the Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee

Purpose

This paper invites Members to endorse the recommendations of the Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee on the formation of friendship groups with legislatures outside Hong Kong.

Background

2. At the House Committee meeting on 24 July 1998, Members agreed to form a Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee to provide overall coordination of all parliamentary liaison activities between the Council and parliamentary organisations outside Hong Kong, to consider proposals for setting up friendship groups with other parliamentary organisations and to make recommendations to the House Committee.

3. The Subcommittee consists of nine Members with Hon Edward HO Sing-tin and Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing as Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively. The membership list is in the Appendix. It held two meetings on 29 July 1998 and 11 September 1998 to discuss the formation of parliamentary friendship groups.

Recommendations

4. Having regard to the social, economic and cultural ties the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has with other territories (in particular those in Asia), the potential interest of the legislatures of other territories may have in establishing formal links with this Council and the resources available for organizing liaison activities with other legislatures, the Subcommittee recommends:

1. continuing the ties the Hong Kong legislature has established with the legislatures of Japan, Canada, Australia and the European Union through

   - the Hong Kong-Japan Parliamentarians Committee;

   - the Hong Kong-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group;

   - the Hong Kong-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group; and

   - the Hong Kong-European Parliament Parliamentary Friendship Group

   that have previously been established; and

2. setting up an additional friendship group with the parliamentarians of the Republic of Singapore.

5. The Subcommittee also recommends that, in keeping with its responsibility for promoting liaison and developing good relations with parliamentary bodies outside Hong Kong, members of the Subcommittee should participate more actively in meeting parliamentarians visiting the Legislative Council. This will boost the number of Members, in addition to those on the duty roster, in receiving visitors.

Decisions Sought

6. Members are invited to endorse the recommendations of the Subcommittee in paragraphs 4 and 5 above.



Legislative Council Secretariat
15 September 1998

附錄
Appendix

議會聯絡小組委員會成員名單
Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee Membership List