PP HONGAID
GR 445
CYPHER/CAT A
NO DISTRIBUTION
НК
GD
गाड
FM HONG KONG 171000Z
CONFIDENTIAL
No
FA
&
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON TELNO.837 OF 17 JULY
PERSONAL FOR BRAY FROM ROBERTS.
PLEASE PASS TO SIP MURRAY.
MEMBERSHIP OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
See (53
1. Q.W. LEE INFORMED ME TODAY THAT ON MEDICAL ADVICE HE FELT
OBLIGED TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HIS PUBLIC WORK.
2. HE THEREFORE WISHED NOT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR REAPPOINTMENT
TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AFTER 31 AUGUST 1978. HE FOUND THE BURDEN OF LEGCO WORK HEAVY AND INCREASING. FURTHER, IF SIR S.Y. CHUNG WERE TO LEAVE LEGCO HE WOULD, IF ASKED, HAVE NOT FELT HIMSELF ABLE TO TAKE ON THE EXTRA BURDENS OF SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER.
3. Q.W. LEE WAS FIRM AND I SEE LITTLE PROSPECT OF DISSUADING
HIM, THOUGH HE EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE ON EXCO AND WITH SOME OF HIS OTHER PUBLIC COMMITMENTS,
4. I POINTED OUT THAT WE FELT THAT AS MANY MEMBERS OF EXCO AS POSSIBLE SHOULD ALSO BE MEMBERS OF LEGCO, TO ENSURE SUPPORT THERE FOR POLICIES APPROVED BY EXCO. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD, OF COURSE, UNDERSTAND IT IF FOR THIS REASON IT WERE FELT THAT HE SHOULD LEAVE EXCO ALSO.
5. YOUR PROPOSALS FOR EXCO WERE TO REPLACE T.K. ANN AND MRS SYMONS BY LOBO AND SANDBERG. SIR S.Y. CHUNG WOULD RETIRE FROM LEGCO. THIS WOULD LEAVE FOUR WITH DUAL MEMBERSHIP OF BOTH COUNCILS: Q.W. LEE, 0.V. CHEUNG, BREMBRIDGE, LOBO.
6. IF Q.W. LEE WERE TO REMAIN ON EXCO AND COME OFF LEGCO, THERE WOULD ONLY BE THREE WITH DUAL MEMBERSHIP. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DANGEROUSLY LOW. I HAVE RECENTLY HAD DIFFICULTY IN FINANCE COMMITTEE ON VARIOUS MATTERS APPROVED BY EXCO. I BELIEVE THAT THE SMALL NUMBER OF EXCO MEMBERS HAS. CONTRIBUTED TO THIS