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The Royal Instructions will need to be changed; but they have been far from immutable in recent years. And it is
surely a crucial aspect of effective administration of
Hong Kong that the Governor should decide who sits on his
Executive Council.
4. It is theoretically possible to keep quiet the fact that
this change to the Royal Instructions will be going to the Privy Council although the Privy Council Secretariat seems
to be fairly open with the press as to what items are on the
agenda. However, it is our understanding that this change will have to be gazetted in Hong Kong and therefore there is no question of trying to slip this through unnoticed.
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PF Ricketts
leeth