TNAG-0006-FCO40-42-Constitutional-development-1968 — Page 11

F

ORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 788

AR

CONFIDENTIAL

21 JUN 1968

HWA1/12

TO

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

20 JUNE 1968

YOUR TELEGRAM 1170 : PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION.

YOUR PARAGRAPH 2 AGREED.

TOP COPY

2. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO MENTION UMELCO GROUPS SINCE

UMELCO HAS NO FORMAL EXISTENCE OR CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS AND

THE GROUPS ARE A PURELY PRIVATE ARRANGEMENT BY MEMBERS. APART

FROM THIS, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THEMSELVES AT PRESENT PREFER NOT

TO OVER-PUBLICISE THE ARRANGEMENT.

3. I AM HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PUT PROPOSALS BEFORE EXECUTIVE

COUNCIL SOON FOR A DEGREE OF MODERNISATION OF THE URBAN COUNCIL

AND SOME EXTENSION OF ITS FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING PROVISION FOR

21

GREATER FINANCIAL AUTONOMY. THESE PROPOSALS ALSO INCLUDE SUGGESTIONS

FOR AN ELEMENTARY FORM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN TSUEN WAN:

4.

THE PROPOSALS NOW BEING PREPARED REPRESENT AN INTERMEDIATE

STEP SHORT OF THOSE IN THE WORKING PARTIES' REPORTS. YOU WILL

RECOLLECT THAT IT WAS DECIDED AT THE TIME OF LORD SHEPHERD'S VISIT LAST OCTOBER THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO PROCEED WITH THE

FULL PROPOSALS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

S. I WOULD PREFER THAT ANY REFERENCES THAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE MADE

TO THESE PROPOSALS SHOULD BE IN ONLY THE MOST GENERAL TERMS SINCE:-

(A) LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN ONLY MARGINALLY BE CONSIDERED TO FORM.

PART OF OUR ''POLITICAL STRUCTURE'' AND IT IS UNDESIRABLE FOR THE

IDEA TO GET ABOUT THAT ANY CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM CONSTITUTE MAJOR

CHANGES IN THAT STRUCTURE.

(B) WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO YET, REFERENCE TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BEING ONLY A FIRST STEP TO ENABLE THE PROPOSALS TO BE PUBLICISED

FOR GENERAL COMMENT, AND

(C) IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT DISCOURTEOUS FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

TO BE MADE AWARE OF THE PROPOSALS FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM

STATEMENTS IN PARLIAMENT.

6. YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A MAJOR

TTEMPT TO PERSUADE AS MANY ELIGIBLE VOTERS AS POSSIBLE TO

PATEN AS ELECTORS. PEGISTRATION FORMS WERE MADE READILY