NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No. HKK 1/8
ECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
J
irds
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(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.
ره
DRAFT
LETTER
To: T. Sargant, Esq., OBE.,JP.
Secretary,
British Section of the
International Commission
of Jurists,
12, Crane Court,
Fleet Street,
London, E.C. 4.
Type 1 +
From Lord Shepherd
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
I am sorry that my absence abroad and the volume
of work awaiting me on my return have prevented me from sending you an earlier reply to your letter of 20 October about the feasibility of appointing an Ombudsman in Hong Kong. The report enclosed with
your letter had, in fact, been previously brought to my notice by the Governor and I have studied it with
interest. I have also received your letter of
14 November on the same subject.
During my visit to the Colony in June I had very thorough discussions on this matter with the Governor and his advisers. Difficulties in importing the Ombudsman concept into Hong Kong were aired and doubts were expressed about the extent to which such an appointment would be effective. "It was the general view of those with whom I talked and a view which N shared - that steps should first be taken to strengthen the machinery which already exists for enabling the people of Hong Kong to make known their views and grievances to the authorities. To this end it was decided to appoint/a person of some standing as full-time Secretary to the Office of the Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils; and I am informed that applications for this appoint- ment have already been called for. This officer will act as a receiving point for representations from the public and will make any necessary enquiries from the relevant departments of Government.
I would emphasise that this decision in no way rules out the possibility of her consideration being given in the future to the appointment of an Ombudsman. But I feel that we should first allow time for the effectiveness of the arrangements that I have outlined above to be evaluated.
/ In
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