GRS 1050
CONTIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 19 NOVEMBER 1984
FROM PEKING 160923 Z NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2783 OF 16/11/84
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
19 NOV 1984
1378
FROM MCLAREN
MIPT: FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
FOLLOWING IS SPEAKING NOTE USED TO INTRODUCE THE WHITE PAPER
(I DID NOT (NOT) LEAVE A COPY):
INTRODUCTION
1. WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED TABLED IN LEGCO AND INTRODUCED BY
GOVERNOR ON 21 NOVEMBER. DEBATE IN LEGCO PROBABLY ON 28 NOVEMBER.
AS A COURTESY, WISH TO GIVE CHINESE ADVANCE COPIES OF TEXT
OF WHITE PAPER. WILL MAKE SOME PRELIMINARY COMMENTS. ALSO VERY
READY TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILED EXPLANATIONS IF CHINESE WISH.
2. GREEN PAPER PUBLISHED IN JULY DEALT WITH WHOLE PERIOD UP TO
1991, ENVISAGING SOME CHANGES IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1985
AND OTHERS IN 1988. WHITE PAPER DEALS IN DETAIL ONLY WITH
ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1985.
3. IN LIGHT OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND OF FURTHER EXAMINATION OF
PRACTICAL ASPECTS, SOME CHANGES MADE TO GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS.
MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE ARE TO BRING FORWARD SOME OF PROPOSALS
FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ORIGINALLY ENVISAGED FOR 1988 TO 1985.
4. THE REVIEW ENVISAGED FOR 1989 IS, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION,
TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO 1987.
PROPOSALS FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
5. 24 (INSTEAD OF 12 AS IN GREEN PAPER) UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF
LEGCO WILL BE ELECTED IN 1985:
(A) 12 (INSTEAD OF 6) WILL BE ELECTED BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE
COMPOSED OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS. DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WILL
BE GROUPED INTO 10 GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES, EACH BASED ON 1,
2 OR 3 DISTRICTS AND REPRESENTING ROUGHLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS WILL FORM TWO SPECIAL
CONSTITUENCIES.
(B) 9 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WILL RETURN 12 (INSTEAD OF 6) UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS. COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND LABOUR CONSTITUENCIES WILL HAVE TWO SEATS EACH: FINANCIAL, SOCIAL SERVICES, MEDICAL, EDUCATION, LEGAL, ENGINEERS AND ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONS WILL HAVE
ONE SEAT EACH.
CONFIDENTIAL
16.