1
HOT ROME
Sir Robert Black has proposed that the Legislative Council be
increased by 5 nominated unofficial and 3 official members. +This
would make 13 unofficials and 12 unofficials (excluding the
Governor). The Governor's original and casting vote would ensure
that the official view could if necessary prevail,
This is of course a very minor change. It was accepted by
your predecessor that future changes to the constitution of Hong
Kong can only take the form of improvements of the machinery of
Government and that we should not indulge in the pretence of
appearing to advance, by constitutional reforms, towards self-
government. It has been made clear by Ministers in the past that
there can be no question of elections to Legislative Council.
This position is generally accepted on both sides in
Parliament and also, apart from a vociferous but insignificant
minority, in Hong Kong.
The object of the change is to widen the range from which
unofficial members are selected. There has been justified
criticism that the present Legislature is too narrowly based,
The Governor also proposes to increase the unofficial membership
of the Urban Council by 2 elected and 2 nominated members.
(There are at present 5 official and 16 unofficial members,)
This will also help meet the criticism.
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/singRobert Black
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