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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yuk-man and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (November 7):
Question:
In appointing non-official members of statutory or advisory bodies, the Government generally needs to follow the "6-6 Rules", i.e. each person appointed should not hold more than six such public offices at any one time and should not serve on a body in the same capacity for more than six years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current number of statutory and advisory bodies the chairpersons or members of which are appointed by the Government;
(b) of the current number of persons serving concurrently on four or more statutory or advisory bodies as non-official members; and
(c) given that it has been reported that the Government has appointed persons from the same political parties or chambers of commerce to which the outgoing members are affiliated to fill the vacated offices, has re-appointed persons to the same public offices which they have left one to two years ago, and there are even incidents where some people have been appointed to the same public offices for over six years thus violating the "6-6 Rules", of the reasons why the authorities have adopted such practices?
Reply:
President,
The Six-year Rule and Six-board Rule (6-6 Rules) are general guidelines applicable to Government appointments of non-official members to advisory and statutory bodies (ASBs) made in their personal capacities.
(a) As at September 30, 2012, there were 398 ASBs the chairmen or members of which were appointed by the Government to the bodies concerned as non-official members in their personal capacities.
(b) As at September 30, 2012, 242 persons were appointed by the Government in their personal capacities and serving on four or more ASBs as non-official chairmen or members.
(c) The Government makes appointments of non-official members to ASBs on the basis of the merit of individuals concerned in order to meet the needs of the ASBs and to ensure that the composition of ASBs broadly reflects the interests and views of the community. In the process, the Government considers factors such as a candidate's ability, expertise, experience, integrity and commitment to public service; the functions and nature of the ASB concerned; and the need for effective operation or continuity of work. For statutory bodies, the appointing authorities also take into account the relevant statutory requirements. The appointing authorities may, having regard to individual circumstances and if necessary, re-appoint previous members of an ASB to participate in its work again, adjust the tenure of members, or deviate from the "6-6 Rules".
Ends/Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:35
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