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IN RÉUNSTLY 27FEB 198540
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DD 270 100Z HONG KONG
GRS 698
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 270100Z
FM FCO 251515Z FEBRUARY 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 324 OF 26 FEBRUARY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
сы
YOUR TELS NOS 284-9: AMENDMENTS TO LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL
INSTRUCTIONS AND LEGCO (ELECTORAL PROVISIONS) BILL
1.
I HAVE NOW DISCUSSED THESE QUESTIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER
AND OTHER COLLEAGUES.
2. WE ACCEPT YOUR ARGUMENTS ON THE QUESTIONS OF RESERVED POWERS
FOR THE GOVERNOR TO LEGISLATE, AND ON RESERVATION OF ASSENT ON
BILLS AFFECTING THE POWERS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND ITS MEMBERS. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE
REASONS WHICH LED US TO INTRODUCE SUCH POWERS IN OTHER DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES EXIST ALSO IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG, WE AGREE THAT
THERE IS A STRONG ARGUMENT FOR DISPENSING WITH THEM IN HONG KONG
ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY WOULD FORM UNDESIRABLE PRECEDENTS FOR
THE SAR. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS
ELSEWHERE IN THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW HMG TO EXERCISE THEIR
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HONG KONG.
3. WE HAVE HOWEVER CONCLUDED THAT FOR THE PRESENT IT WOULD BE
RIGHT FOR THE GOVERNOR TO HAVE THE POWER TO DISSOLVE THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE HAVE CONSIDERED YOUR ARGUMENTS AGAINST
THIS COURSE VERY CAREFULLY. OUR CONCLUSION IS BASED ON THE
FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS:
I) IT WOULD BE PERFECTLY NATURAL FOR THIS POWER TO BE
INTRODUCED AT THE PRESENT MOMENT WHEN WE INTRODUCE
ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE INTRODUCED
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IF, AFTER THE 1987 REVIEW, IT WERE DECIDED TO REMOVE THIS POWER, THIS COULD ALSO BE REPRESENTED AS A NATURAL
EVOLUTIONARY STEP. BY CONTRAST IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY
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