TNAG-0326-FCO40-362-Appointments-to-membership-of-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Ko-1972 — Page 127

Registry No. HKK 1/19

SCURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

To:-

Governor HONG KONG

DRAFT

LETTER

Type 1 +

From

E O Laird

Telephone No. & Ext.

Secret.

Confidential

Restricted. Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

Department

1. Thank you for your letters of 19 and 23 May and

2 June about the history of the General/Chamber of

Commerce and JP seats on the Legislative Council.

2.

You may like to know that our initial researches

into past papers have led us to the conclusion that the

weight of the evidence with me exception definitely

supports the opinion of Denys Roberts, that there is no

foundation in law for the practice of calling for nomi-

nations to the Legislative Council from the JP's and the

Chamber of Commerce/ I showed Research Department's

minutes to Hugh Norman-Walker when he called to seeme

yesterday and he said that in his view it confirmed the

advice he has already given you that you should go

ahead as proposed.

3.

However, I shall now be submitting these papers

to ministers and this note is by way of an interim reply

to keep you informed of developments.

(885363) Dd. 896639 1,000m 8/71 St.S.

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