—Enhancing legislation, to provide strong legal guarantee for economic and social development

       The Standing Committee deliberated and approved the draft amendment to the Constitution of the PRC, and made explanations of the amendment to this year's NPC session.

        In light of the legislative ideas of this NPC, the Standing Committee has devised a five-year timetable of 76 legislations, covering all departments constituting the legal system with Chinese characteristics and aiming to lay a solid foundation for the planned establishment of the system by 2010.

        From June 2003 to April 2004, the Standing Committee enacted the Identity Cards Law, Port Law, Radioactive Pollution Prevention Law, Law on Administrative Licenses, Law on Road Traffic Safety, Law on Securities Investment Fund, Law on Banking Regulation and Foreign Trade Law. It also promulgated a group of resolutions on amending laws and legal interpretations, including the Resolution on Amending the Commercial Bank Law and the Interpretations for Clause 7 of Annex I and Clause 3 of Annex II of the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

        —Intensifying supervisory effects, to strengthen and improve supervision

        In 2003, the Standing Committee carried out nationwide inspections on the enforcement of five laws, and heard and deliberated 11 special-topic work reports from the State Council and other government and judicial departments, effectively supporting and promoting their administration by law and fair justice. These efforts have also safeguarded people's interests. Facing the severe conditions of SARS outbreak, the Standing Committee heard and deliberated over reports of the State Council on prevention and control of the deadly epidemic and on the implementation of the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. In light of findings during the inspections of the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes, the committee offered proposals on tackling prominent problems involving medical wastes and sewage disposal.

       The Standing Committee also received 28 administrative regulations and 497 local statutes for the record in 2003. It revised the procedures for examining archived legal documents, including administrative regulations, local statutes, self-government and special regulations, and bylaws of special economic zones. This, plus an appropriate increase of voluntary examinations by the Standing Committee, has played a positive role in promoting legal consistency in the country.

       —Properly handling deputies' motions and suggestions

       In 2003, various NPC special committees made case-by-case examinations of the 388 motions assigned to them by the Presidium of the First Session of the 10th NPC, and reported their conclusions to the Standing Committee. In terms of the 4,832 suggestions, complaints and ideas put forward by deputies during the First Session of the 10th NPC, relevant departments have handled them after careful consideration and notified concerned deputies of the developments.

       To give play to the role of NPC deputies from Hong Kong and Macao, the Standing Committee arranged inspection tours for them to Yunnan and Inner Mongolia, and, for the first time, invited Macao deputies to take part in the inspections of law enforcement.