THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1988
WHITE PAPER PROPOSALS NOT YET FINALISED,
CHIEF SECRETARY ASSURES URBAN COUNCIL DELEGATION
THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY ASSURED AN URBAN COUNCIL DELEGATION THAT THE COMING WHITE PAPER ON DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT YET BEEN FINALISED, AND POINTS CONCERNING THE COUNCIL'S FUTURE WERE STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THE DELEGATION,
LED BY THE COUNCIL'S CHAIRMAN, MR H.M.G. FORSGATE, AND VICE CHAIRMAN, MRS ELSIE TU, SPENT MORE THAN AN HOUR WITH SIR DAVID.
"THE DISCUSSION WAS EXTREMELY FRANK AND FRIENDLY,
++ SAID MRS TU.
"THERE WAS NO DISAGREEMENT
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JUST DISCUSSION.
"WE PUT FORWARD ALL THE PROBLEMS WE WOULD FACE IF CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE COUNCIL'S STRUCTURE AT THIS TIME.
**THE TIMING WOULD BE VERY UNFORTUNATE IF IN FACT IMPORTANT CHANGES WERE TO BE MADE AT THIS JUNCTURE.
"WE RECEIVED SIR DAVID'S ASSURANCE THAT EVERYTHING WE SAID WOULD RE CONVEYED TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
FORWARD.
"I BELIEVE HE WAS QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THE ARGUMENTS WE PUT
"HE ALSO ASSURED US THAT WHAT WAS SAID BY THE BRITISH MP MR GEORGE FOULKES WAS CORRECT. IN THAT THE WHITE PAPER HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED AND THAT ANY PROPOSALS COULD BE CHANGED."
MR LEE CHIK-YUET SAID THAT THE COUNCIL DELEGATION HAD STRESSED THAT IF CHANGES WERE TO BE MADE TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE COUNCIL, AT THE VERY LEAST ELECTED URBAN COUNCILLORS SHOULD BE ALLOWED то RETAIN THEIR SEATS ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS.
HOWEVER, IF THE WHITE PAPER WERE TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCILLORS WISHING TO SIT ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD STILL HAVE TO STAND FOR ELECTION, THE DELEGATION WISHED AS A LAST RESORT THAT THIS BE DEFERRED UNTIL 1991.
THE DELEGATION ALSO COMPRISED MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, MR STEPHEN LAU, MR WALTER SULKE, MR LO KING-MAN, MRS CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING AND MR MAN SAI-CHEONG.
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