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BECKET
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HONG KONG:
1.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
The General Secretary of the Labour Party wrote to the Secretary of State on 20 March enquiring about the possibility of widening the membership of the Legislative Council. On 1 April I recommended that in his reply the Secretary of State should warn Mr Hayward that the Governor considers it will not be possible to make substantial changes to the Council's membership during the current
year.
2.
The Governor shares the concern of Ministers that the Council's membership should include people who can speak for all levels of Hong Kong society. He considers that the new Mutual Aid Committees (MACS), which are being set up throughout the urban areas to serve as rallying points for local opinion and cooperation, will provide the most promising source of new LegCo members. However, most of the MACS have been in operation for little more than a year.
3.
The Secretary of State will recall that during the Governor's call on 11 April, Sir Murray was concerned lest opinion in this country should be led to equate the Legislative Council with Parliament whereas it was more equivalent to a Cabinet. In the Governor's opinion, it was important for Britain as well as Hong Kong that the Legislative Council should remain efficient; and the experiment could not be
rushed.
4.
Mr Hayward's letter also referred to discussion in the International Committee about the possibility of changes to Hong Kong's Constitution, by which we assume he means changes towards an elective system of Government. If the delegation suggests this, the Secretary of State might point out that the special circumstances of Hong Kong make it very difficult to pursue the usual path, followed in other dependent territories, towards democratic self-government. Before agreeing to any change, IIMG would have to be convinced that there was an overwhelming desire for it in Hong Kong; and they would have carefully to consider whether a democratic system in Hong Kong would
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