CO537-6046 — Page 76

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that to make provision for elections to the Legislative Council would inevitably lead to far more delay than the widening of the Urban Council Franchise.

In the circumstances we hope that the Executive Council will agree to paragraph 5 of the despatch remaining as drafted.

7. As regards your sixth paragraph, we agree to the amendment proposed.

8. The suggestion in the seventh paragraph of your letter that the proposals "should be presented as no more than an interim measure" is not one which would be acceptable to the Secretary of State. No measure of constitutional reform should, of course, be regarded as final. On the other hand, it would be wrong to suggest that the present proposals are interim in character only, with the possible implication that they are likely to be followed in the near future by a further constitutional advance. We agree, however, with your Unofficial Members' view that if at some future date direct election to the Legislative Council is introduced, the principle that only British subjects would be granted franchise must then be reverted to. The franchise proposals now under consideration refer only to indirect election and those suitable for direct election raise quite different issues.

9. As to the possible time-table, we agree with the view set out in the 8th paragraph of your letter.

10. As noted in the 9th paragraph of your letter we realise that there are likely to be difficulties in the particular circumstances of Hong Kong in devolving on the Urban Council more real responsibility for urban aïfairs,

/but.