CO537-2188 — Page 139

54145/4/47

CONFIDENTIAL

Colonial Office,

Downing Street,

S.W.1.

4th July, 1947.

Constitutional changes in Hong Kong

Before you left I explained briefly to you the position with regard to the forthcoming constitutional changes in Hong Kong, namely that Sir Mark Young put forward in his despatch No.145 of the 22nd October last certain proposals for the establishment of a Municipal Council and for an alteration in the constitution of the Legislative Council; that the Secretary of State indicated in the House on the 5th March his acceptance of Young's main recommenda- tions; and that we were still sorting out details with Hong Kong.

This last process has taken much longer than we originally anticipated, but we have at last been able to send off a despatch (No.222 of 3rd July) in reply to Young's despatch of October last.

I accordingly enclose for your information copies of both these despatches, together with a copy of the Secretary of State's statement in the House on March the 3rd.

You ought also, I think, to have for general background purposes the enclosed copy of Young's confidential despatch of the 22nd October, 1946,

which

E.E. SABBEN CLARE, ESQ.