TNAG-0117-FCO40-153-Constitutional-developments-1969 — Page 52

на Mr Carter._

For information.

RECORD OF A MEETING ON 4 NOVEMBER, 1968.

IN LORD SHEPHERD'S OFFICE

ANE

5.11.08.

Present:

Lord Shepherd

心

Mr. Dhun J. Ruttonjee

Mr. Godden

Mr. Gaminara.

Appointments to Legislative Council

Mr. Ruttonjee explained that he was concerned about the gap that existed in Hong Kong between the Government and

He feared the people, particularly the youth of the Colony. that unless something was done to close this gap, there would He be trouble with the youth of Hong Kong before very long. went on to say that although he realised that the idea of an elected legislative council was out of the question, he saw no reason why one or two elected members of the Urban Council should not be nominated by the Governor as members of Legislative Council. At present the Legislative Council included four or five bankers (there were four bankers who

the General Chamber of were members of Executive Council):

Commerce and the Justices of the Peace had the right to nominate a member each, but there was no representation of

minority groups.

He therefore considered that it would be only equitable if, for example, professional men had the same right to nominate a member.

2.

The Minister said that so far as appointments to the Legislative Council were concerned he would be prepared to go even further than Mr. Ruttonjee had suggested and would be ready to see one or two elected members of the Urban Council nominated by that Council to serve on the Legislative Council. He doubted, however, whether the other action suggested by Mr. Ruttonjee would serve to close the gap to which the latter had referred. Moreover, he was opposed to sectional representation on the legislative council since it would be

He wondered whether difficult to know where to draw the line. a better alternative would not be to widen the functions and responsibilities of the Urban Council to include, for instance, such subjects as education. Mr. Ruttonjee agreed with this idea. He thought that the various Boards and Committees set up by Government in the different spheres of Government activity achieved very little, partly because they were only

advisory/