HOSPITALS BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr R. C. H. LIM) in the Chair]

Order for Second Reading read.

The Chief Minister: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the absence of my colleague, it is my privilege to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill, Sir, is of a very minor character. On the assumption of office by my Government, a view was put forward of the procedure for appointment to various statutory bodies. In a number of cases where it was provided that the Governor should appoint, that provision was changed, and the appropriate Minister was given the power of appointment. We have also considered other powers of appointment, and we have come across this one in the Hospitals Board Ordinance - in section 3 - which provides for the appointment of a large number of officers and, inter alia, section 3 (1) (g), which provides for two persons to be elected for each year by the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council. That was quite an appropriate proviso, Sir, in the days when the Council was a minority of Unofficials and also when the Executive was very much in the hands of Officials. But it is our view that, now that the government is in the hands of the elected representatives of the people, and in order to avoid any suggestion that appointments are being made a matter of politics, this provision of appointment of two persons to the Medical Board should be by the Governor in Council, that is to say, by the Council of Ministers.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.