Redacted under FOI Exemption S40 S41
AGREED WITH OTHER MEMBERS THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN ECUAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: SHE THOUGHT THE LATTER MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE SUITABLE EXCO MEMBERS AND THAT, SINCE THEY WOULD BE LESS LIABLE TO ELECTORAL VICISSITUDES, THEY WOULD MAKE FOR A MORE STABLE
ADMINISTRATION.
6.
ASKED (A) WHO WOULD REPRESENT THE GOVERNMENT IN LEGCO, AND (B) WHETHER A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM WAS CONTEMPLATED. IN RESPONSE TO (A) THE GOVERNOR EXPLAINED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO AVOID AN ADVERSARIÁL PARTY SYSTEM. IN RESPONSE TO (B) THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT ENVISAGED AT THIS STAGE: THERE WERE BOUND TO BE FUPTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF THE SYSTEM, BUT WHEN THEY CAME ABOUT WOULD DEPEND, (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) INTER ALIA, ON SUITABLE PEOPLE EMERGING WHO WERE AVAILABLE FOR FULL-TIME POLITICS.
7. THE UPSHOT WAS AGREEMENT THAT A GREEN PAPER SHOULD NOW BE
DRAFTED -
(A) PUTTING FORWARD THREE PROPOSITIONS AS REGARDS A STRUCTURE
BY 1991 FOR DISCUSSION
(1) 25 AND 20 MEMBERS ELECTED BY ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS RESPECTIVELY, NO APPOINTED MEMBERS AND TEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS:
(11) 20 MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, 20 MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, NO APPOINTED MEMBERS AND TEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS:
(III) 13 MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, 13 MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, 13 APPOINTED MEMBERS AND TEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS:
(5) PROPOSING THE ELECTION OF A SPEAKER LATER THAN 1986, BUT
CONSIDERING THE INTERIM STAGE OF A SPEAKER APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR:
•
(C) MAKING REFERENCE TO THE INTENTIONS AS REGARDS CBF'S CONTINUED
PRESENCE IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL:
(D) ANTICIPATING THE ARGUMENTS LIKELY TO BE RAISED IN FAVOUR OF
DIRECT ELECTIONS BY ARGUING POSITIVELY AS THE BEST METHOD
TO RETAIN AT LEAST AN ELEMENT OF CONSENSUS POLITICS, RATHER THAI ERCOURAGING ADVERSARIAL POLITICS, WHILE NOT RULING OUT
DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR ALL TIME.
3. THE GOVERNOR HAS ASKED ME TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL VIEWS (INCLUDING
THOSE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL) ON OUR PROPOSALS FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN COME TO
2 SECRET
I FORM