F
ORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 788
AR
CONFIDENTIAL
21 JUN 1968
HWA1/12
TO
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
20 JUNE 1968
YOUR TELEGRAM 1170 : PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION.
YOUR PARAGRAPH 2 AGREED.
TOP COPY
2. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO MENTION UMELCO GROUPS SINCE
UMELCO HAS NO FORMAL EXISTENCE OR CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS AND
THE GROUPS ARE A PURELY PRIVATE ARRANGEMENT BY MEMBERS. APART
FROM THIS, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THEMSELVES AT PRESENT PREFER NOT
TO OVER-PUBLICISE THE ARRANGEMENT.
3. I AM HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PUT PROPOSALS BEFORE EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL SOON FOR A DEGREE OF MODERNISATION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL
AND SOME EXTENSION OF ITS FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING PROVISION FOR
21
GREATER FINANCIAL AUTONOMY. THESE PROPOSALS ALSO INCLUDE SUGGESTIONS
FOR AN ELEMENTARY FORM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN TSUEN WAN:
4.
THE PROPOSALS NOW BEING PREPARED REPRESENT AN INTERMEDIATE
STEP SHORT OF THOSE IN THE WORKING PARTIES' REPORTS. YOU WILL
RECOLLECT THAT IT WAS DECIDED AT THE TIME OF LORD SHEPHERD'S VISIT LAST OCTOBER THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO PROCEED WITH THE
FULL PROPOSALS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
S. I WOULD PREFER THAT ANY REFERENCES THAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE MADE
TO THESE PROPOSALS SHOULD BE IN ONLY THE MOST GENERAL TERMS SINCE:-
(A) LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN ONLY MARGINALLY BE CONSIDERED TO FORM.
PART OF OUR ''POLITICAL STRUCTURE'' AND IT IS UNDESIRABLE FOR THE
IDEA TO GET ABOUT THAT ANY CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM CONSTITUTE MAJOR
CHANGES IN THAT STRUCTURE.
(B) WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO YET, REFERENCE TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BEING ONLY A FIRST STEP TO ENABLE THE PROPOSALS TO BE PUBLICISED
FOR GENERAL COMMENT, AND
(C) IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT DISCOURTEOUS FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
TO BE MADE AWARE OF THE PROPOSALS FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM
STATEMENTS IN PARLIAMENT.
6. YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A MAJOR
TTEMPT TO PERSUADE AS MANY ELIGIBLE VOTERS AS POSSIBLE TO
PATEN AS ELECTORS. PEGISTRATION FORMS WERE MADE READILY