WRITTEN ANSWER
LORD FANSHAWE OF RICHMOND ASKED HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT:
IF THEY WILL MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.
LADY YOUNG:
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS TODAY PUBLISHED
A WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT IN THE TERRITORY.
COPIES OF THIS PAPER HAVE BEEN
PLACED IN THE LIBRARY OF THE HOUSE.
*
it-
AFTER THE PUBLICATION ON 18 JULY OF THE GREEN PAPER ON
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, TWO MONTHS WERE ALLOWED FOR PUBLIC
-
COMMENT, WHICH WAS RECEIVED FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES.
THERE WAS GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE AIMS OF THE GREEN PAPER AND
THE GRADUAL AND PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE PROPOSALS MADE IN IT. ·
THE WHITE PAPER, WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF THESE VIEWS, SETS OUT THE
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS FOR THE 1985 ELECTIONS TO THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
THE MAIN POINTS IN IT ARE:
(A)
TWELVE MEMBERS (RATHER THAN SIX AS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN
PAPER) WILL BE ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY AN
ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN 1985.
TEN WILL BE ELECTED BY GROUPS
OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, ORGANISED ON A REGIONAL BASIS,
AND ONE EACH BY THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE PROPOSED NEW
REGIONAL COUNCIL.
/(B)