CONFIDENTIAL
He
reflected a great deal of enthusiasm or interest. wondered therefore whether instead of enlarging the Urban Council, the Board system (with elected members) might be developed.
22. Mr. Wang said that public reaction to the CDO scheme had been good. The Urban Council case was that there is a gap between Government and the people. What was really needed was to provide an outlet for young people (such as John Tan) who will be coming into adult society shortly. He was not in full agreement with all that was in the Dickinson Report. It was too ambitious and the timing
was perhaps wrong. What was needed was a flexible approach to meet the coming tide.
23. Lord Shepherd said he had one final point to make. While he had not yet made up his mind on what should be done, he thought it essential that a way should be found for the coming generation to play a part in due course in the formulation of policy. He did not think that the present composition of the Executive and Legislative Councils met the bill. To get on to these Councils one had to be successful - and in Hong Kong that meant being successful in business or industry. It might be argued by some that members were simply looking after their own interests or were little more than cyphers. With the next generation t things would be different. The problem was to demonstrate to the youth of today how they could participate in Government. He could not see how the reform of local government would help in this connection.
24. Lord Shepherd then reverted to the Board proposal which he had mentioned earlier. He thought that this was some- thing which ought to be looked at and suggested that this might be done by the appointment, by the Governor, of a joint committee of the Legislative and Urban Councils to find ways and means of devising an acceptable formula. 25. Sir Albert Rodrigues said that he would not disagree in principle to this suggestion.
26. Mr. Gordon said that he endorsed Lord Shepherd's point about youth. CONFIDENTIA [27/