CO537-2188 — Page 312

DRAFT DESPATCH:

TO ECTING GOVERNON,

HONG KONG

sir,

DRAFT 'X'

Constitutional Changes in Hong Kong

In his despatch No.145 of the 22nd October, 1946,

Sir Mark Young submitted his views and recommendations for

changing the existing constitutional arrangements in

Hong Kong, so as to give the inhabitants of the Colony

a practical and effective share in the management of their

own affairs.·

2.

*

These recommendations were the subject of close

examination in the Colonial Office and consultation with

Sir Mark Young prior to the statement which I made in the

House of Commons on the 5th of March, 1947. In that

statement I announced my agreement with the main

recommendation for the establishment of a Municipal Council,

on the widest representative basis possible, which would

gradually assume as many of the present functions of the

Central Government as can appropriately be assigned to 1$,

and would embrace in its administrative area the whole

the Island of Hong Kong, the Kowloon ceded territory, and

that part of the New Territories known as New Kovloon.

I also explained that the remainder of the area of the

New Territories had been excluded for the present for the

reason that it is rural in character and therefore not

suitable for immediate inclusion in the area to be

administered by the ikunicipal Council. I further announcra

my acceptance of the proposal for a modification in tha

constitution of the Legislative Council so as to secure

on that body a more direct and proportionately increased

representation of the unofficial community.

3. Since