3. HONG KONG STANDARD, 28TH APRIL, REPORTED AS FOLLOWS:-
''THERE WAS SPECULATION AMONG M.P.S IN WESTMINSTER YESTERDAY
THAT REPRESENTATION TO HONG KONG'S LEGCO MAY BE INCREASED SOON WITH THE INCLUSION OF EITHER ONE OR TWO NEW MEMBERS FROM THE
NEW TERRITORIES.
THIS FOLLOWS THE MEETING HELD EARLIER IN THE DAY BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND LORD GORONWY-
ROBERTS AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE WHERE THE DELEGATION'S LEADER
TOLD THE MINISTER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES
TO THE COLONY AND ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT, HE ADDED, ITS ONE AND A QUARTER MILLION RESIDENTS ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN LEGCO. LORD ROBERTS, WHO HAS PROMISED TO REPLY TO THE KUK PETITION, THANKED THE DELEGATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE AND FORCEFUL WAY IN WHICH THEY PRESENTED THEIR
CASE.
HE ALSO SAID THAT RECENT REFORM MEASURES AND OTHER DEVELOP-
MENTS HAD BEEN SPEEDED UP IN THE COLONY.
LORD ROBERTS COMMENDED LIVERPOOL'S M.P. ROBERT PARRY, WHO SAT IN ON THE TALKS, FOR HIS LONG AND DEEP INTEREST IN THE
COLONY'S AFFAIRS. ALTHOUGH NO PROMISES WERE HELD OUT TO THE
DELEGATION BY LORD ROBERTS, M.P.S WHO MET THE KUK MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AFTERWARDS WERE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ACT TO INCLUDE SOMEONE FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES IN LEGCO.
SOME M.P.S WERE ''INCREDULOUS'' THAT AN AREA OF SUCH VITAL
IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG HAD NO VOICE IN ITS GOVERNMENT. TEN
M.P.S MET THE KUK DELEGATION IN THE COMMONS.
THE KUK ALSO HANDED LORD ROBERTS A LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARED BY
TWO QUEENS COUNSEL ON THE ENTIRE QUESTION OF LAND ACQUISITION
AND PURCHASE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.'?
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK & GD
FED
NENAD
PS/LORD GORONWY
ROBERTS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
2
COPIES TO
MR KIDD
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE