COMIDENTIAL
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LORD GORGIWY-ROBERTS'S MERTING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG:
2 DBOMBER 1975
BRIEF NO. L
CONSTITUTIONAL REVORM
Line to Take
1.
The Minister may wish to ask the Governor for his latest thoughts on the proposed changes in the membership of the L-gislative Council and to discuss the implications of this move on the Council'c efficiency.
In particular, he might like to raise the following
points:
(a)
what has been the public reaction to the proposal to increase the size of LegCo?
could he say any more about the three new members he proposes to appoint next year?
(b)
(c) in the longer term does he feel that progress
towards more open and active Government will load to an increase in the desire for representative government amongst the Chinese population?
Beckeround
2.
There is some pressure both here and in a small but vocal minority in Hong Kong for progress towards a more representative form of self-government in the Colony. Chinese opposition rules out constitutionel development along the lines we have fostered in past and present colonial territorios. This is perhaps more widely understood now than at the beginning of this Parliament; NDC in particular are unlikely to let thu natter drop.
3.
but the
The Governor has long held that the only way forverd is to attempt to alter the social composition of the Legislative Council by making appointments from a wider social background.
He had, however, ergued that this carrot bo rushed:
there is difficulty
/in findin
CONFIDARI