TNAG-0215-FCO40-251-Appointments-to-membership-of-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 141

CONFIDENTIAL

Reed. 17/6

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

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Dear lestie.

1

HONG KONG

MICK//3 tekgram (No. 359) the question of

(un)

M

5th June 1970

11

We have been in communication already about the necessary new appointments of unofficial members to the Legislative Council and in your most recent

wider representation was again raised: as it has been from time to time over the last 6 years. But the principles which should govern the selection of suitable persons for appointment to Council has not been the subject of any full discussion between us since the FCO merger, and this is perhaps an appropriate moment therefore to go over the factors which, as I see it, are central to the whole problem of making these appointments.

First, it might be helpful to run over the kind of characteristics appointees must have, before they can be considered suitable. Briefly, these are:-

(a) They must have proved themselves not to be the kind of person who would use his position and special knowledge for personal gain: nor the kind who cannot be trusted with sensitive information.

(b) Almost as important, they must be quite well known in the community before they can command confidence and before the community can be satisfied that they are rather more than merely averagely upright persons.

(c) They must have time to spare for the Council's work and the subsidiary activities

Sir Leslie Monson, KCMG, CB, Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

CONFIDENTIAL