TNAG-0278-FCO40-314-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 18

CONFIDENTIAL

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Constitutional matters

15. Sir Albert Rodrigues said that there was no room for constitutional change and no demand for it except from a few unrepresentative sections of the public. All the members of the Council were agreed on this.

16. Mr. Stewart raised the question of an ombudsman. He understood that the unofficial members had an office for handling public grievances. Sir Albert Rodrigues said that they were trying to improve their office. The City District Officers were also available for citizens' grievances and he was of the view that it would be unwise to introduce an ombudsman. Mr. Stewart said that it was important that there should be more than one channel for complaints and that the poorest citizen should have the opportunity to have his grievances made articulate. He would like to see the existing channels improved first, before looking for new ones. Mr. Herries said that there was a danger that the ombudsman would be seen as a panacea.

17. Mr. Stewart referred to Sir Albert Rodrigues' remark about the demand for constitutional change and asked which sections of the public were in favour of it. Mr. Kan said that it was mainly expatriates, such people as lecturers in the university and people who came to Hong Kong only for a short time. As had happened in the case of the Urban Council, if you were to introduce one or two elected members in the Council there would be pressure for more and you would end up with a wholly elected Council. Mr. Stewart said that in Britain we tended to regard election as the normal method of government. It had been represented to him that the position in Hong Kong was different but what was the precise objection to the growth of elected membership? Mr. Kan said that more than half the population of Hong Kong came from over the border. Most of them were in Hong Kong for convenience and had only come there in the last 10 to 15 years. Moreover in any electoral system there would be bound to be a conflict between the Communist and the Taiwan Chinese.

18. Mr. Stewart said that he could see how a visitor to Hong Kong might be able to find fault and to pinpoint areas for improvement. The fact was that much had been achieved and the more you achieved, the greater was the demand for improvement. They should not despair. Mr. Kan said that a lot of young people would be growing up and would want power. Mr. Gordon interjected that the principal problem was of course China. Mr. Saunders referring back to the question of elected members said that he was reminded that when elections had been first held in Singapore, the immediate result had been that in a community which was predominantly Chinese and Malayan, 11 Indians had been elected, because they were politically interested. Mr. Gordon added that a point that had to be borne in mind was that if conditions changed too fast and the price of labour became comparatively higher than in their neighbours, many employers who had come to Hong Kong for cheap labour, would take their factories elsewhere.

Kai Tak

19. Invited by Mr. Stewart to put forward any other points, Mr. Gordon said that Hong Kong felt a bit aggrieved over Kai Tak, especially because the United Kingdom controlled the landing rights. Mr. Stewart said that the United Kingdom had to watch very carefully any investment abroad and though our economy had made progress, we were not yet able to relax. Nevertheless he did not rule out a contribution and the matter would be looked at again next year. Mr. Herries speaking as the general agent of BOAC, said that Hong Kong could not help but notice that Singapore and Malaysia, and even Indonesia, received aid, while Hong Kong received nothing. Even a small gesture would have a great impact.

CONFIDENTIAL