7448 D073840 200M 8/74 Cr.P.C. 839/3
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT
LETTER
To:-
Ian Mikardo Esq MP House of Commons
SW1
Type 1 +
FROM
Secretary of State
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
.1.
I have now been able to reflect on the advice I have been given on the various points raised when you and other members of the NEC called on me on 23 April to discuss Hong Kong.
2.
On the question of membership of the Legislative Council, I can say two things. The first is that, while I would prefer to see constitutional progress in Hong Kong, as elsewhere in our remaining dependencies, I think desire for progress must to a large extent depend upon Chinese attitudes. I do not think you will need any reminding that we have no vested interest in non-elective legislatures anywhere, least of all in our remaining Colonial possessions. But in considering ways forward, we would be very unwise to ignore the dangers, not only to Hong Kong itself but also to our relations with China, if we sought to introduce an electoral system. against the wishes of China. As I told you on
23 April, the Chinese were not at all happy over the election of someone of known KMT affiliations to the Urban Council. This is illustrative of the difficulties we might encounter in seeking to
introduce popular representation in the Legislative · Council, which is a body of much wider powers.
3.
The second is that I share the Committee's concern at the present social composition of the Legislative Council. It is, in my view, too homogenous and not sufficiently representative of all sections of the community. I accept that it will
not be easy to find people of the right stature from
/the population