Provisional legislature president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai's proposal to revamp the body's committee structure failed to win approval from a working group yesterday. Instead, the group on rules of procedure decided to stick to existing practice with the bills committees and panels run by the House Committee, which excludes the president. It said it would consider Mrs Fan's plan as part of a later review of the structure. Mrs Fan had suggested the bills committees and panels report to the full body, which would include the president. Her proposal has sparked criticism she is trying to increase her power. Mrs Fan rejected the charges, saying she was simply trying to formalise the existing structure. Her plan would mean panels would need the full council's permission to conduct 'certain external activities'. She later cited overseas visits as loopholes in the existing structure. 'No matter how often they [the panels] remind people they do not represent the whole Legislative Council, they are still treated as representing the full council.' She said she was not trying to curtail the power of the House Committee, but decision-making would be conducted by the full council. 'The president's job is to chair the meeting. The president does not vote and I am not prepared to vote,' Mrs Fan said. 'The president did not take part in in-house affairs only because the presidency used to be taken by the Governor.' Working group convenor Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee said there were no existing rules to stop the bills committees and panels from reporting to the full council.