28
HKCK 011/12
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 ¿ JUN1985
From The Minister of State
Richard Luce MP
Dean bru
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Acto i Taken
Ck
Entr
London SW1A 2AH
13 June 1985
Mr Galeforthy
wps, milne
mang
напыл
for the drags
In
13/0
You asked my Private Secretary for information on the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Bill at present before the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. I thought it better to delay sending you anything until we knew the results of the Second Reading which took place on 12 June, because the Bill has been substantially amended. I now enclose a copy of the original Bill and a list of the amendments produced at Second Reading. I also enclose a copy of the Chief Secretary's speech introducing the Second Reading. I will let you have a consolidated copy of the Bill as soon as we receive it.
The Bill was conceived and drafted late last year as part of the arrangements necessary for the introduction of a new-style Legislative Council composed of both appointed and elected members which will be set up in October this year. For reasons which you will understand it would not be possible for the Legislative Council in Hong Kong to go on indefinitely relying on uncodified reference to the practice at Westminster.
The Bill followed a standard pattern of legislation developed for legislatures in other ex-colonial or Commonwealth territories. It was referred to an ad hoc group of Legislative Council members who considered it for some months prior to its publication and introduction. The group was chaired by Maria Tam. The report of the ad hoc group recommended a number of amendments which were incorporated in the Bill before it was introduced to the Council on 15 May.
The Bill at first attracted little attention. However just before its Second Reading was due on 29 May criticisms of specific clauses began to surface, particularly from the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
6
The Rt Hon Sir Peter Blaker KCMG MP House of Commons
LONDON
SW1A OAA
/The