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The appointments of the new Unofficial and Official Members to
the Legislative Council, which are all for a term of two years from
September 1, 1976 to August 31, 1978, will bring the total membership
of Unofficial Members to 22 and of Official Members to 19.
At the same time, two new Unofficial Members have been appointed
to the Executive Council, also for a term of two years with effect from
September 1, 1976. They are Mr. Lee Quo-wei and Mrs. Joyce Symons, both
of whom are at present Members of the Legislative Council. They are to
replace Mr. P.C. Woo and Mr. Szeto Wai, who are retiring after having
served on the Executive Council since 1972.
Notwithstanding his appointment to the Executive Council,
Mr. Lee will remain on the Legislative Council, where has served since
1968. However, Mrs. Symons is retiring after having served on the
Legislative Council since 1972.
By an Order in Council signed by Her Majesty the Queen, the
Royal Instructions have been amended to increase the maximum number of
the Unofficial Members from 15 to 23, and that of the Officials from
10 to 18 (in addition to the Governor and four Ex-Officio Members).
Though the traditional constitutional power to retain an official
majority has thus been maintained, all the official seats have not been
filled and one spare unofficial seat has been retained in case of further
expansion.
The same Order-in-Council changes the title of the post of
"Colonial Secretary" to "Chief Secretary".
A Government spokesman said that the eight new Unofficial
Members of the Legislative Council were appointed in line with the
Government's policy to expand the unofficial membership of the Council
to include members who can speak from personal experience of a wider
social background, and to ease the burden of work on individual members.
"Together