XN000022-1985-03-05 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1985

WHAT HAD BEEN CALLED A +BORROWED PLACE+, NOW HAD A GUARANTEED AND DISTINCT EXISTENCE UNTIL THE YEAR 2047+, HE SAID.

+HOWEVER. HE ADDED, +SO MUCH WILL DEPEND UPON HOW WE INTERPRET AND USE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT LIES BEFORE US.

+WE MUST NOT ENDANGER, BY OVER-CONFIDENCE, THE PROSPERITY CREATED DURING THE PERIOD WHEN WE HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT FUTURE WAS IN STORE FOR US, HE SAID.

BUT THIS DID NOT MEAN, HE SAID, THAT, WITH THIS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE OF COPING WITH CHANGE, HONG KONG MUST NOW LOSE ITS NERVE WHEN FACING THOSE CHANGES WHICH WOULD BRING THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG MORE DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.

HE SAID THAT ELECTIONS WOULD TAKE PLACE IN TWO DAYS WHICH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WOULD RESULT IN NEW MEMBERS TAKING THEIR PLACE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

IN SEPTEMBER OTHER MEMBERS WOULD BE ELECTED BY REPRESENTATIVE SECTORS OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHEN IT TOOK ITS SEAT AT THE END OF OCTOBER WOULD BE LARGER THAN EVER BEFORE WITH 56 MEMBERS, COMPRISING 24 ELECTED, 22 APPOINTED AND 10 OFFICIAL MEMBERS.

LAW OFFICER APPOINTED ****

THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY THE APPOINTMENT OF MR FRED BURROWS AS LAW OFFICER (SPECIAL DUTIES).

THE POST OF LAW OFFICER (SPECIAL DUTIES) WAS CREATED RECENTLY TO DEAL WITH THE MANY LEGAL MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

MR BURROWS WILL TAKE UP THE APPOINTMENT IN MID-MAY 1985.

MR BURROWS, CMG, AGE 59 IS A LEGAL COUNSELLOR IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFİCE.

HE WAS FIRST APPOINTED TO THE FCO IN 1956 AS AN ASSISTANT LEGAL ADVISER, AND HAS SINCE SERVED AS LEGAL ADVISER IN VARIOUS POSTS.

HE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UK NEGOTIATING TEAM ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, AND ALSO THE UNITED KINGDOM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE LEGAL STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE.

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