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So far as the Legislative Council is concerned, the clas- sical answer to this question is to introduce an elected element; in my view this is out of the question, although I think we might just get away with the nom- ination by the Governor of not more than two elected members of the Urban Council to seats on the Legislative Council. To my mind what is really needed is a change of mind and attitude on the part of certain senior expatriot officials. But the blame cannot by any means all be laid at their door. I can well believe that they are subject to constant pressure by the affluent business men and leaders of industry; in fact by those who produce the goods which make Hong Kong's economy race ahead. It is not surprising that those in charge are not anxious to change the set up at the behest of outsiders.
9. Question 21: This again is a matter of personalities. If you have a Head of Department who is sufficiently determined (and particularly if there were a number of such Heads of Departments) to see his pet projects given a fair wind, then I think we might see a change. However, the simple answer to this question is to change the Financial Secretary.
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10. uestion 22: I see no point whatever in enlarging the franchise for election to the Urban Council, at least until the present exercise for extending the responsibil- ities, powers and functions of that Council has been completed. Only a very small fraction of those registered to vote in fact bother to do so. The Governor maintains that this is because the vast majority of the Chinese population are not interested in politics and, in any event, have little better than contempt for the Urban Council. Another school of thought maintains that the reason for the general public taking such little interest in Urban Council elections and affairs is because the Council's powers and functions are very narrowly confined to parochial activities. My own view is that the Governor's approach is the right one: however, once the powers, functions and responsibilities of the Council have been enlarged, we could put the matter to the test and thereafter decide whether or not the franchise needed to be further extended. So far as elections to the Legis- lative Council are concerned, I do not consider that this idea is a starter because of the likely reactions of Peking.
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11. uestion 24: I am not sure what this question refers to.
Unlike most dependent territories, Hong Kong has a permanent Emergency Regulations Ordinance in force in under which emergency regulations can be made whenever required. In practice, draft emergency regulations are held in readiness, to be introduced as necessary. This was done
in the case of the 1967 disturbances. As a result of the experience gained during those disturbances, a number of the provisions contained in the Emergency Regulations were subsequently embodied in other permanent legislations of the Colony. As the disturbances died down and the emergency legislation was lifted, the Regulations were dusted and put back on the shelf ready for the next time. How- ever, the Governor did mention that they would be reviewed in order to meet certain queries which had been raised in various quarters on the application of the regulations. I presume that this is being, or has been, done in Hong Kong.
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