2 -
Background
The
3.
In Hong Kong's three-tier Government structure the
central organs of Government are the Executive and Legislative Councils. The Executive Council, the highest policy-making
body in the territory, at present comprises four ex-officio members and 13 members appointed by the Governor of whom two are officials. Until 1985 the Legislative Council likewise
consisted of ex-officio members and appointed members.
second-tier bodies, the Urban and Regional Councils, have
their own budgets and a range of statutory responsibilities. Both comprise appointed and elected members. The lowest tier of local Government is the District Boards, which play an
important advisory role but have no executive authority. Approximately two-thirds of District Board members are now
directly elected and one-third appointed.
The 1984 Green and White Papers
4.
The purpose of the 1984 Green Paper was to propose ways of extending the structure of representative government
so as to embrace the central organs of Government. One of its stated aims was to make the Government "more directly accountable to the people of Hong Kong".
5.
The Green Paper was approved by the sub-committee on
28 June 1984. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary subsequently reported to the sub-committee on 8 November 1984
on the outcome of public consultation on the Green Paper. The main change then agreed by Ministers and announced in the White Paper was that the composition of the Legislative
Council should be altered :
(i) by introducing 24 new members indirectly
elected by Functional Constituencies and an Electoral College;
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