12
GRS 320
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 170845Z
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.52
20 JAN1975
lick 3/548/
TO IMMEDIATE MANILA TELEGRAM NUMBER 4 OF 17 JANUARY 1975 INFO IMMEDIATE F C O (PERSONAL FOR HEADS OF HK IOD AND NEWS DEPARTMENT) AND PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR).
TRANSCRIPT OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AT MINISTER'S PRESS
CONFERENCE.
QUESTION: THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HERE CALLED FOR AN EXPANSION OF THEIR RANKS TO INCLUDE
REPRESENTATIVES OF WORKERS AND OTHER PEOPLE. I UNDERSTAND
THAT SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU IN HIS
LAST VISIT TO LONDON. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF YOUR
GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS ON THIS?
MINISTER: YES, WE HAVE DISCUSSED AND WILL GO ON DISCUSSING THIS. WE DON'T EXPECT ANYBODY TO MOVE SIMPLY BECAUSE MOVEMENT IS A GOOD THING, AS I SAID IN RELATION TO PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT MUST BE RELATED TO ALL MANNER OF CONSIDERATIONS, SOME VERY SENSITIVE INDEED, AS YOU KNOW. THEREFORE, IT IS ONE OF THE POINTS ON WHICH WE THINK THE IMPETUS, THE PACE AND DEVELOPMENT MUST ARISE FROM YOUR OWN FEELINGS HERE OF WHAT ON BALANCE IS BEST TO DO AND HOW QUICKLY IT SHOULD BE DONE. NOW THE BRITISH POLICY, AS YOU KNOW, IN REGARD TO THE EMPIRE IS, AND HAS BEEN, FOR HALF A CENTURY NOW, TO ADVANCE ALL TERRITORIES PROGRESSIVELY IN STAGES TO SELF- COVERNMENT AND INDEPENDENCE. WE HAVE DONE THIS VERY EXTENSIVELY, FOR INSTANCE IN AFRICA. IN SO DOING, WE HAVE SUGGESTED, AND THEY HAVE ACCEPTED THE SUGGESTION THAT THE PATTERN OF COVERNMENT SHOULD BE BROADLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE AT HOME. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT ALL AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS, AS YOU KNOW, HAVE RETAINED THAT VERY LONG AFTER ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE. THAT IS UP TO THEM. WE LOOK AT EACH CASE ON ITS OWN. CERTAINLY, THE ADVANCE TO ELECTIVE SELF-GOVERNMENT, AS WE CAN SEE, LOOKING AT YOU FROM LONDON, IS A GOOD THING. MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT IS THAT THE DESIRE FOR IT, THE SPEED WITH WHICH IT IS IMPLEMENTED, SHOULD
CONFIDENTIAL
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