XN000022-1976-08-26 — Page 9

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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