Legislative Council

LC Paper No. CB(3) 934/98-99

Ref: CB(3)/SC/FG

Paper for the House Committee Meeting
on 18 December 1998

Report of the Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee

Proposed activities for parliamentary friendship groups


Purpose

This paper seeks the House Committee's endorsement of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee on the proposed arrangements for the activities to be organised with the parliamentary friendship groups formed with Singapore, European Parliament and Japan respectively.

Background

2. At the House Committee meeting on 13 November 1998, Members endorsed the following recommendations of the Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee:

  1. to invite members of the Singapore-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group and the President of the European Parliament-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group to visit Hong Kong in the first quarter of 1999; and

  2. a delegation of Legislative Council Members to visit Japan in late February 1999 with a view to strengthening the ties established with members of the Japan/Hong Kong Parliamentarian League and gaining first-hand information on Japan's experience with the financial turmoil in the country and Asia.

Visit of the Singapore-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group

3. The Singapore-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group has accepted our invitation and proposes to visit Hong Kong from 27 to 30 January 1999.

Visit of the President of the European Parliament-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group

4. Mr Michael Hindley, Member of the European Parliament and President of the European Parliament-Hong Kong Parliamentary Friendship Group, has accepted our invitation and proposes to visit Hong Kong from 29 March to 1 April 1999.


Visit to Japan

5. The Subcommittee proposes the following arrangements:

  1. Dates of visit

    The visit to start on Tuesday 23 February and end on Saturday 27 February 1999.

  2. Size of the delegation

    The delegation should comprise ten Members and one Secretariat staff. All interested LegCo Members may express their interest on or before 5:00 pm on Monday 21 December 1998. If by that date more than ten Members have indicated interest, the Subcommittee should be authorized to select ten Members to join the delegation, having regard to the need to form a delegation representative of Members.

  3. Programme of the visit

    A tentative programme has been proposed by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Japan, and will be worked out once the delegation has been formed. It is intended that the programme will include meetings with members of the Japan/Hong Kong Parliamentarian League, senior officials of the Japanese Government, business executives and HKSAR Government officials in the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office etc.

  4. Estimated expenditure for the visit

    Assuming that the delegation will comprise ten Members and one Secretariat staff and will stay in Japan for four nights, the preliminary estimate of expenditure for the visit is about $310,000.

Advice Sought

6. Members are invited to endorse the recommendations set out in paragraphs 3 to 5 above.


Legislative Council Secretariat
December 1998