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but politically. The genius of this coun- try is to recognise the facts when it sees them. It might be rather easy to proceed dead-pan according to the pattern regard- less of the circumstances and the implica- tions, but what will happen to Hong Kong itself to this tiny territory of 4) million people?
In the absence of popularly elected in- stitutions there has evolved in Hong Kong a unique system of government which seeks to achieve the same objective of re- sponsiveness and responsibility by means somewhat different from ours. The aim there is to produce a system allowing wide and active participation at all levels in the process of government. Here the blessed word participation
comes in. We hear a good deal of this in our own country, as a means (dare I say?) of sup- plementing our own ancient Parliamen- tary tradition. Perhaps Hong Kong is also having a good look at participation by means other
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than Parliamentary means. To achieve this, contacts between local institutions and community organ- isations and the Central Government are being improved. I saw this for myself. I sat in at meetings of what are called "mutual aid committees". They are grass-roots committees of Hong Kong people, Chinese people, who discuss their local affairs and solve them, too--par- ticipatively, co-operatively and also feed up through the proper channels into the Government itself their own views, wishes and offers of help.
There is more than one way, especially in Asia--in the new Asia--of achieving participative democracy. The Governor has also indicated that there is room for change in the Legislative Council while retaining its essential character. Of course we accept that in the absence of an elected legislature, opinion in the Legislative Council is, and should be seen to be, representative of all sections of the community in Hong Kong.
In conclusion, we and the Hong Kong Government fully accept that a great deal remains to be done; that there is abso- lutely no room for complacency. For all the progress that has undoubtedly been made there are basic deficiencies still in housing, education, social welfare, com- munications and recreational amenities. There has been a rapid increase in violent crime over the last eight years and an
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unacceptable level of corruption. I have outlined the plans that have been made to tackle these problems, to create a pros- perous, stable and happy community, and I have indicated how far those plans, put into operation, have so far succeeded.
Baroness VICKERS: My Lords, if I may intervene, the noble Lord has not mentioned the question of compensation and the legal aid department, which was raised by Lord Brockway. I think it is very important. I understand that, since 1967, £22 million has been paid out in compensation and damages to people who have been legally aided. Perhaps the noble Lord can confirm this.
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: Yes, indeed my Lords; in fact I have a rather useful note on that matter, although I think the noble Baroness has answered the question better than I could. Legal aid is available for about 75 per cent. of all criminal cases tried in the district courts. There is a means test, but the availability is there, and, as the noble Baroness has said, it has an impact. There is a real attempt here to enable people with small means to avail themselves of the processes of justice.
Lord BROCKWAY: My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether he would pay some attention to the proposal I made that at the courts there should be a prisoner's friend who would be able, like our probation officer, to give advice and help to those who are often completely ignorant of the procedure and are des- troyed in presenting their case because of that ignorance, which might be removed if they had that kind of help,
Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS: Gladly, my Lords, it is a splendid suggestion. I do not know to what extent it is not already available, but I am sure that my noble friend has gone into this, and I most gladly welcome the suggestion. When I visited Hong Kong last year I took with me the chairman of one of our Benches of magistrates, a member of my family, and she was able to attend courts and indeed treatment centres for drug addicts. I believe she saw, at least in many cases, the kind of provision my noble friend has rightly' advocated. Whether it is the general practice I do not know. I will check with my friend the magistrate when I go home and see what
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