SOUTH

CHINA, MORNING

FAST

I and R.

#s 20/0

Ombudsmen for H.K.?

Lord Shepherd, Minister of State at the Common- wealth Office, intimated re- cently in unofficial talks

in London with Mr Brook Ber- nacchi, QC, Senior Urban Coun- cillor, that Hongkong needed not one but perhaps two or three ombudsmen,

one

The Minister indicated that ombudsman for each of the three areas-Hongkong, Kowloon and the New Terri- tories-would be a better idea.

According to Mr Bernacchi, who reported this when he re- turned recently from a holiday in England, Lord Shepherd be- lieved an ombudsman must at least have more

power than

was given at present to the equivalent person in England,

In answer to a suggestion that the Legislative Council should have two elected mem- bers, Lord Shepherd comment- ed he personally could see no objection to two representatives from elected Urban Councillors put up by the elected members only and appointed by the Gov-

ernor.

In that way problems in which the public were interested but which did not come within the jurisdiction of the Urban Coun- cil could be raised in the Legis- lative Council by the elected Urban Councillors and the Legislative Council would be more directly informed of Urban Council affairs.

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