III. Deepening work related to deputies

We took advantage of the opportunity created by implementing the amended Law on Deputies to People's Congresses to further strengthen and improve work related to deputies, support deputies in carrying out their responsibilities and duties in accordance with the law and ensure they do so, and get deputies to fully play their role in participating in the administration of state affairs.

1. We steadfastly respected the principal position of deputies and diligently handled their bills and proposals.

Nine special committees handled 566 bills of deputies referred to them by the Presidium of the Fourth Session of the 11th NPC. The Standing Committee has deliberated and passed six laws addressed in 15 of the bills; is deliberating seven bills brought up in 69 of them; and has included 28 legislative items discussed in 84 of them in the legislative plan and agenda. The special committees worked hard to better handle these bills and made good use of them in their legislative work. For example, the Law Concerning the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases was amended to include deputies' proposals that the responsibilities of employers be clarified, trade unions play a bigger role, and workplace hygiene inspection be strengthened. Deputies made 8,043 suggestions that were referred to 177 organizations for study and handling. Eleven of them were selected as key suggestions on issues of great concern to the public and their handling was brought under the oversight of special committees. As of this moment 77 percent of the problems brought up by deputies in their suggestions have been solved or plans have been made for solving them. Remarkable progress has been made in handling a number of suggestions in such areas as supporting the development of major grain-producing areas, tightening oversight of food safety, and developing services for the elderly.

2. We unwaveringly maintained an attitude of serving deputies and improved our services for them.

We improved the organization of and services for deputies' investigations and studies on special issues, and inspection tours. More than 1,800 deputies took part in investigations and studies on special issues and over 1,700 participated in inspection tours, and they prepared over 100 investigative reports, which provided important reference materials for the policymaking of both central and local governments. These activities also greatly improved the quality of deputies' bills and proposals. In order to keep deputies informed about state affairs, we promptly provided them with materials and information about the country's economic and social development, compilation and implementation of government budgets and the Standing Committee's performance of its duties. We held separate meetings for deputies residing in Beijing and for those in Hong Kong and Macao to brief them on state affairs, and distributed printed materials to all deputies. We continued to increase study sessions for deputies on matters relating to their duties and held six training sessions for more than 1,200 of them to study the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics and the 12th Five-Year Plan.

3. We maintained close contacts with deputies to the NPC to improve the quality and level of the work of the Standing Committee.

We solicited deputies' comments and suggestions on the work of the Standing Committee in a variety of ways, and took them as an important basis for improving our work and formulating work plans. We further expanded deputies' participation in the Standing Committee's inspections of enforcement of laws and in its research for legislative purposes, and invited them to attend meetings of the Standing Committee and special committees as observers. With their professional expertise and knowledge of local conditions, deputies made valid and sound analyses and pragmatic and pertinent comments, and played an important role in improving the quality of the Standing Committee's deliberations and raising the level of its work.

There is one more year remaining in the term of the 11th NPC. During the past four years, all our deputies have maintained a high sense of mission and responsibility, proved worthy of the great trust bestowed on them by the people, worked diligently to perform their functions, and participated in the administration of state affairs in accordance with the law. Our deputies come from every region, ethnic group and sector of society and work and live among the people, so they have a personal understanding of how the principles and policies of the Party and the country as well as the Constitution and laws are being implemented, have firsthand knowledge of people's lives and wishes, and have a thorough understanding of conditions and problems at the primary level. Deputies make full use of the advantage of their close contacts with the people to fully understand their conditions, reflect their sentiments, and pool their wisdom, and thus make a positive contribution to upholding and improving the system of people's congresses, and doing the work of people's congresses well in the new circumstances.