GRS 650
CYPHER CAT/A
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 50
10 MAR 1975
FM HONG KONG 071000Z
NICK 3/548/
3/548/2
CONFIDENTIAL
TO ROUTINE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 222 OF 7 MARCH.
REFORM CLUB MEMORANDUM,
FOLLOWING FOR STUART.
YOUR LETTER OF 21ST FEBRUARY.
NEAT
REF.
48
AS THE REFORM CLUB RELEASED THE MEMORANDUM (BUT NOT BERNACCHI'S PERSONAL LETTER) TO THE PRESS ON THE 29 JANUARY 1975, WE MUST EXPECT THAT IT WILL ALSO LET THE PRESS HAVE A COPY OF ANY REPLY TO IT. INDEED I SUSPECT THAT IT WAS WITH AN EYE TO PUBLICITY BEFORE THE URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS THAT BERNACCHI'S LETTER WAS PARTLY WRITTEN. THE REPLY SHOULD THEREFORE DEAL EXCLUSIVELY WITH MATTERS CONTAINED IN THE CLUB'S MEMORANDUM AND SHOULD NOT REFER TO BERNACCHI'S PRIVATE LETTER TO THE MINISTER. ANY POINTS MADE BY BERNACCHI IN THAT LETTER WHICH NEED ANSWERING COULD BEST BE DEALT WITH IN THE PERSONAL LETTER WHICH THE MINISTER WISHES TO SEND TO
BERNACCHI.
2. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
I SUGGEST THAT THE REPLY SHOULD STATE THAT THE MINISTER, LIKE THE REFORM CLUB, RECOGNISES THE DIFFICULTIES OF ANY FORM OF ELECTED LEGISLATURE AND THEREFORE SEES LITTLE PROSPECT OF A CHANGE IN THE METHOD OF SELECTION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS.
3. I FEAR THAT YOUR DRAFT REPLY TO THE REFORM CLUB MAY ENCOURAGE THE CLUB, AND INDEED THE URBAN COUNCIL, TO FEEL THAT THERE IS A REASONABLE POSSIBILITY THAT ITS POWERS MAY BE EXTENDED. I FEEL IT WOULD BE WISER FOR THE LETTER TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE COUNCIL'S EXCELLENT WORK BUT SAY THAT HONG KONG IS FAR TOO SMALL AND CONCENTRATED FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT EXTENSION OF THE POWERS OR JURISDICTION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.
CONFIDENTIAL
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