business
- 9 -
In order to
cope
with the immense volume of
generated by the negotiation the frequency of
Council meetings was increased to two and in the final
stages, to three or four times a week. Additionally
Unofficial Members of the Council had frequent meetings with
Ministers and the Prime Minister, travelling if necessary to
London for that purpose.
In September 1984 after the conclusion of the
negotiating process in Peking, the Executive Council flew to
London and advised the Prime Minister and the Secretary of
State that in their opinion the text of the draft Joint
Declaration on the Future of Hong Kong was satisfactory and
that they would be prepared to commend it to the people of
Hong Kong. This advice was an important factor in
's divisi Government persuading Her
jé
Magisty's
Howe
Kancarl
さん
that
the Joint
к
Declaration should be initialled and recommended to the
people of Hong Kong. The rest is public knowledge: in the
ensuing period of public consultation the people of Hong
Kong endorsed the verdict of the Council, thus paving the
way for the approval of the Agreement by both Houses of
Parliament in Westminister and its subsequent signature in
December 1984 by the Prime Minister, of the Joint Declaration.
Following the signature of the Joint Declaration,
the Executive Council has continued to be
to be closely involved
in the future of Hong Kong, notably in providing advice to
HMG on the discussions in the Joint Liaison Group and in the