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3. AS REGARDS THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COUNCIL. I AM CONFIDENT THAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS. WHETHER ELECTED BY ELECTORAL COLLEGES OR BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. WHETHER APPOINTED OR OFFICIAL. WILL RECOGNISE THAT. WHEN IN THIS CHAMBER. WE ARE ALL PART OF ONE COUNCIL. EACH MEMBER MAY HAVE HIS OR HER INDIVIDUAL ALLEGIANCE. BUT ALL OF US HAVE A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE POLICIES WE ENDORSE AND THE LEGISLATION WE SHALL PASS WILL AFFECT
THE DAILY LIVES. NOT ONLY OF THE SECTORS WHICH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS MAY REPRESENT. BUT OF EVERYONE IN HONG |ONG. WHILE I EXPECT ISSUES TO BE VIGOROUSLY DEBATED IN THIS CHAMBER. IT WILL BE INCUMBENT ON US ALL NEVER TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT COMMOM RESPONSIBILITY.
4. THIS NEW COUNCIL WILL SOON NO DOUBT ADOPT ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE WORLING STYLE. IN DOING SO. IT INHER-ITS A SUCCESSFUL PATTERN ON WHICH TO BUILD. OVER THE YEARS. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BUILT UP A REMARI IABLE RECORD AS SPOKESMEN FOR THE COMMUNITY ON VITAL ISSUES. THEY HAVE SCRUTINISED AND PASSED AN IMPRESSIVE BODY OF LAW. WHICH HAS PROVIDED THE FRAMEWORD WITHIN WHICH HONG LONG HAS BEEN ABLE TO GROW INTO THE SUCCESSFUL SOCIETY IT IS TODAY THAT SOCIETY HAS EVOLVED AS A RESULT OF A CONSTANT CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT. THE LEGISLATURE AND THE COMMUNITY. THIS CONSULTATIVE PROCESS HAS BEEN A CARDINAL ELEMENT IN HONG LONG'S SUCCESS. THE GOVERNMENT FIRMLY INTENDS THAT IT SHOULD BE CONTINUED AND
STRENGTHENED.
5. WE SHALL NEED TO MONITOR THE FUNCTIONING OF OUR NEW ARRANGEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, BEFORE WE TAME STOCH AGAIN IN THE 1987 REVIEW. THE REFORMS OF 1985 ARE BASED ON INSTITUTIONS WHICH HAVE SERVED HONG HONG WELL: THEY PRESERVE THE BEST FEATURES OF THESE INSTITUTIONS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HONG LONG SHOULD BUILD A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL WHICH IS APPROPRIATE TO ITS OWN NEEDS AND IN HARMONY WITH ITS OWN TRADITIONS. THE 1997 REVIEW WILL NEED TO ADDRESS A NUMBER OF ISSUES: WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL: WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTIONS: WHAT SHOULD BE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS: AND OTHER MATTERS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, EVEN BEFORE THE REVIEW, THERE WILL BE MUCH PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON THESE SUBJECTS.
(D) BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT
41. OF CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC INTEREST ARE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) STATUS AND THE ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS. THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG LONG WHO APPLY FOR A BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT BEFOPE 1997 WILL BE ABLE TO USE IT AFTER THAT DATE. AS HAS ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED. ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE FOR THESE PASSPORTS TO SE
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