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9. WE FAVOUR GIVING INFORMAL BRIEFINGS ON JLG MATTERS TO MEMBERS OF LEGCO WHO COULD BE RELIED UPON TO RESPECT CONFIDENTIALITY. WHILST SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE HANDLED VERY CAREFULLY, IT WOULD GIVE US THE FREEDOM TO SELECT THE SUBJECTS FOR BRIEFING, THE LEGCO MEMBERS TO BE BRIEFED, AND THE TIMING OF BRIEFING. THE BRIEFINGS WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TEST THE VIEWS OF INFLUENTIAL LEGCO MEMBERS, BUT WOULD NOT PLACE US UNDER ANY CLEAR OBLIGATION TO ACT ON THEM. FURTHERMORE, GIVEN THEIR INFORMAL AND CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, UKREP JLG COULD BE INVOLVED IN GIVING THESE BRIEFINGS.
POST JLG BRIEFINGS.
10. AS JLG AGREEMENTS ARE NORMALLY ANNOUNCED IN JLG COMMUNIQUES, IT WOULD IN MOST CASES BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BRIEF LEGCO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BEFORE AN AGREEMENT BECOMES PUBLIC. HOWEVER, WE COULD OFFER TO DO SO VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THIS WOULD AT LEAST GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MEMBERS AWARE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WHICH WE HAD TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IN THE NOGOTIATIONS, AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE POINTS OF THE AGREEMENT. WHILST SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THEIR SUPPORT, IT WOULD AT LEAST IMPRESS UPON THEM THAT WE RECOGNISED THAT THEY HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE JLG PROCESS. IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO STATE OUR CASE BEFORE OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES WHO OPPOSED THE AGREEMENT HAD A CHANCE TO INFLUENCE LEGCO MEMBERS.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
DUAL EXCO/LEGCO MEMBERSHIP.
11. EXCO MEMBERS ARE FULLY CONSULTED ON NEGOTIATIONS IN THE JLG: THEY SHOULD SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN JLG AGREEMENTS ARE REACHED, AND SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR COLLEAGUES IN LEGCO TO DO THE SAME. AS THE ADMINISTRATION'S MEMBERSHIP IN LEGCO DECREASES, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RELY INCREASINGLY ON THE CROSS LINKAGE IN MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN EXCO AND LEGCO. WE THEREFORE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO DUAL EXCO/LEGCO MEMBERS THAT WE EXPECT THEM TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF AGREEMENTS WHICH EXCO HAVE ENDORSED.
THE CHINESE SIDE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH LEGCO.
12.
THE REMOVAL OF SUSPICION AND DISTRUST BETWEEN LEGCO AND THE CPG IS SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. WE MUST MAINTAIN OUR EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD BY PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO UNDERSTAND
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