CONFIDENTIAL
Gyliad
HUA 4/18
HWA6/30
Extract
а
HWA 18/
Secretary accepted that Association was a non starter
for Hong Kong. But he was worried about additional
restrictions which might result from Britain's
entry, e.g. the end of cotton quotas. He feared
that the effect on Hong Kong of Britain's entry
was underestimated in London. Sir Arthur Snelling
denied this. It was recognised that, after
New Zealand and Fiji/Mauritius, Hong Kong's
interests would require special consideration.
E.F.T.A.
16.
The Financial Secretary explained their
worries about rising imports to the U.K. from
Portugal under E.F.T.A.
Local Administration
17.
The Governor said that the Working Party
Report on Local Administration contemplated universal
suffrage even though 50 per cent of the voters
would be aliens. The concept of local government
was foreign to the Chinese. As a start he had in
mind three or four new Authorities covering composite
urban and rural. This would take time as
there were difficulties in unscrambling the
existing Urban Council. He was not yet ready with
areas
a detailed plan. Official proposals might be
ready by the end of the year; these would then
have to be examined in a committee of the Legislative
Council with a full debate about the middle of 1968
followed by legislation. He hoped the Secretary
of State would feel able to say publicly that the
Working Party Report was on the right lines.
This was agreed.
18.
In reply to a question by the Secretary
of State, the Governor said he considered it unlikely
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