CONFIDENTIAL
6. As regards (b), the Governor does not wish to make any changes at this stage in the existing unofficial membership of the Council and he is accordingly proposing that all the present unofficial members should be reappointed for a further period of eighteen months. In making this recommendation, the Governor nas in mind the recent decision to extend his own term of office for a further
year (until October, 1971). In a sense, he is advocating a 'holding' operation to tide the situation over until his successor has assumed office and has had some two and a half months in which to make up his own mind about the future membership of the Council (see paragraph 4 of attached letter). The normal period for such appointments iɛ two years but this is a matter of discretion within the maximum limit of five years imposed by the Royal Instructions. In all the circumstances, the term of eighteen months favoured by the Governor seems right and I support the proposal.
However,
7. It is a little disappointing that the Governor has not proposed any new names for appointment to the Council. two of the eight are expected to retire at the end of 1971, and, as the Governor has pointed out, provisional members are frequently appointed to take the place of permanent members when the latter are away from Hong Kong. In any case, there is no time now to consider anybody else for appointment.
8. The question of appointments to the Legislative Council, which is also dealt with in the Governor's letter, will form the subject of a separate submission. This is not such an urgent matter since we have already agreed to a proposal by the Governor (and the coneti tutional instruments provide for such an arrange- ment) that all the present unofficial members of the Legislative Council should be reappointed on a provisional basis for a further and undetermined period with effect from 1 July, 1970. will provide more time for consideration of the Governor's
recommendations.
This
24 June, 1970
(E. 0. Laird) Hong Kong Department
CONFIDENTIAL