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For local gost, file
.CONFIDENTIAL
ANG
26.6.201
My dear Davis
Ni Gaplicat nigan
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.1
26 June, 1970.
th
296
Local Government.
When Hugh Norman-Walker called on us a few days ago he mentioned that you had not been able to make as much progress as you would have liked on your proposals for reforming the Urban Council and cognate local government matters and, in particular, that you had not been able to reach sufficient agreement to feel able to put definite proposals to Executive Council. Hugh thought it would be some time before the end of the year before, on normal form, you would have specific proposals to put to the Secretary of State.
2.
In the meantime, as I expect you know since John Cowperthwaite was brought into the discussion, the special Hong Kong group, established by the Conversative Party when in Opposition, had, we understood, also been looking at the same proposals and, though Mr. Royle told us he would want to have some further talk with his fellow members in the group before finalising their report, we gather that the thinking of the group on local government tended towards the establishment of a number of local bodies of a Municipal Council nature, which is not in line with what we understand of your own thinking.
3.
In these circumstances it seems to me personally that it might be better, before going to Executive Council, if you could let us have in fuller detail than we have had so far the outlines of your proposals and thinking behind them, with a view to seeing whether we could achieve a meeting of minds between you and here before you come to play your hand (which I fully recognise will not be an easy one) in Executive Council. If you feel able to do this, perhaps you would let me know by telegram when we might expect a fuller exposition of your own thoughts?
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Sir David Trench, G.C.M.G., M.C.,
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Government House,
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Hong Kong.
ANG
26.6.201
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(L. Monson)
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CONFIDENTIAL
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AKK 18/12
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