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but they can only be of limited presentational value
in the UK. So in the UK the main defence of the
discharge of HMG's responsibility in Hong Kong must rest
on other things such as quantifiable progress in the main
social programmes, in the field of labour legislation,
and in the fight against crime and corruption, and on
the successful expansion of the economy and hopefully,
on the mutual interest with China over the development of
the Colony.
It is therefore important that changes
in the Legislative Council should not be of a character
to prejudice the effectiveness of the Councils as instru-
ments for implementing the Government's social and
development programmes. This argues in favour of
keeping their membership to a size capable of being
influenced by indiviaual persuasion exercised by the
Governor and his senior officials, and to persons, from
whatever background or income group, capable of taking a
broad and progressive view of the colony's requirements,
as well as of ensuring that the interests of workers as
well as of employers are protected.
30.
but
There may be opposition in Hong Kong to changes
even of this nature and the process will need to be
evolutionary rather than revolutionary in character;
if the Governor manages to effect the first step in
June without difficulty (by the appointment of some members
drawn from a wider social background than
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heretofore) we
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