XN000022-1984-05-02 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1984

MORE THOUGHT GIVEN TO REPRESENTATION IN COUNCILS

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CONSIDERATION WAS ALREADY BEING GIVEN TO FORMULATING PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS DURING THE COMING YEARS. THE CHIEF

SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+MEMBERS MAY BE ASSURED THAT THE AIM OF THESE PROPOSALS WILL BE TO ESTABLISH ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE PROGRESSIVE, PROPERLY TIMED AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.

HE WAS NOT YET ABLE TO ELABORATE ON WHAT PROPOSALS THE GOVERNMENT HAD IN MIND FOR THE TWO MAIN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, SIR PHILIP SAID, BUT HE COULD ASSURE MEMBERS THAT, BEFORE THEY WERE PUBLISHED FOR PUBLIC CONSIDERATION AND COMMENT, A STATEMENT WOULD BE MADE IN THE COUNCIL.

+AND THERE WILL BE, OF COURSE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PROPOSALS TO BE SUBSEQUENTLY DEBATED,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI FOR AN ELABORATION OF GOVERNMENT'S PLANS +TO DEVELOP ON INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE LINES DURING THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD+.

SIR PHILIP SAID DR HO MUST HAVE HAD IN MIND WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, SAID IN HIS STATEMENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE CHAMBER ON FRIDAY, APRIL 20.

HE QUOTED SIR GEOFFREY AS SAYING: +DURING THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL BE DEVELOPED ON INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE LINES.+

SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, IN RESPONDING TO A SUBSEQUENT QUESTION, HAD ALSO SAID THAT STEPS HAD RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN IN THAT DIRECTION, THAT FURTHER PROGRESS WAS CLEARLY IN MIND AND THAT SUCH PROGRESS MIGHT TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS, SIR PHILIP SAID.

SIR PHILIP EXPLAINED THAT THE STEPS THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN HAD BEEN OUTLINED IN A STATEMENT HE MADE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 15, WHEN HE DESCRIBED CERTAIN PROPOSALS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION+.

+THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THESE PROPOSALS WERE THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD BE STRENGTHENED IN MARCH 1985 BY INCREASING THE NUMBER AND HENCE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTED MEMBERS; AND THAT ANOTHER REGIONAL-LEVEL COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ELECTED AS WELL AS APPOINTED MEMBERS, SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN 1986 TO COVER THOSE AREAS NOT UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, SIR PHILIP SAID.

/HE SAID