TNAG-0288-FCO40-324-Appointments-to-membership-of-Executive-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 113

CONFIDENTIAL

#1970

Mr Wilford

SIR L Monson

Mr Logan

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APPOINTMENTS TO THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS

PROBLEM

In the special circumstances of Hong Kong how can we associate a more representative cross section of the people of the Colony with the management of their own affairs at the highest level.

RECOMMENDATION

2.

I recommend that Sir L Monson should write to the Governor as in the attached draft (this deals in passing with the petition from the Heung Yee Kuk).

BACKGROUND

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3. It was agreed last June that the Members of both Councils then appointed should be appointed up to the end of 1971. This course was adopted on the advice of Sir D Trench that appointments for a year only, ie up to 30 June, 1971, would place Mr MacLehose (whom Sir D Trench would feel bound to consult) in an awkward position when the appointments for the period from 1 July, 1971 came up for consideration. On the other hand, and with the change in Governorship then planned for mid-October, appointments up to 31 December, 1971, would give Mr MacLehose some 2 months in which to make up his own mind about the future composition of the Councils after he had arrived in the Colony.

4. It is now planned that Mr MacLehose should delay his arrival in Hong Kong until mid-November. He will thus have only about

a month in which to consider new appointments to the Councils and it is now more important than ever that the ground be prepared before he goes to Hong Kong.

5. I much regret that, through an oversight, this preparatory work has not been put in hand earlier as proposed by Sir L Monson in his minute of 10 July, 1970. Fortunately, Sir D Trench will be here on leave next June. This will give us an opportunity of taking a fresh look at the problem with both Sir D Trench and Mr MacLehose.

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