CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEF G
POSSIBLE NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Background
1. The appointments of five unofficial members of the Legislative Council are due to expire at the end of June. The Governor may wish to reappoint the members concerned for further terms of office but this is not certain.
the
2. One of the Planning Paper's conclusions,in the field of institutions, was that members should be appointed to the Legislative Council "from a progressively wider social background, particularly from the lower income groups". The Governor appointed 8 new Unofficials and 5 new Officials to the Legislative Council on 31 August 1976 and some of these (Father McGovern, the Rev Joyce Bennett, and Mr LEUNG Tat-shing) are drawn from or could be said to represent these lower-income groups. However, conclusion in the Planning Paper is of continuing application and while the Governor's appointments last autumn seem to have reduced the pressure in this country in favour of a more representative Legislative Council, the Minister might wish to explore the Governor's thoughts about how he intends to fill the appointments that will become vacant later this year, and the longer term composition of
the Council.
Line to Take
3.
The appointments of five of the nominated members of the Legislative Council are due to expire later this year. What are
While the your thoughts on the filling of these five seats?
appointments that you made last year to Legco have been most help- fül, I imagine that you are giving thought to ways in which the Council can be made more representative in the longer term. be glad to have your thoughts.
I should
CONFIDENTIAL