TNAG-0430-FCO40-495-Appointments-of-membership-of-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Ko-1974 — Page 19

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Mr Pauncefort

Reference...

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COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ON LEGCO

1. I telephoned Mr Bett, Special Adviser on Colonial Affairs and asked him whether he knew of any precedents in former colonial territories for the Commissioner of Police to sit in the legislature.

2. At such short notice the only definite precedent

At Mr Barnett could give was Palestine in 1946. that time the legislatife in Palestine was constitutinally similar to that of Hong Kong now - ie all nominated members plus the usual ex-officio members.

3. Mr Bennett thought there would almost certainly be other precedents (eg Malaya) to be found, given enough time. He suggested that we ask the Governor which precedents in particular he was thinking about in his telegram.

11 October 1974

Mr Champion

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We spoke about the Hong Kong proposal that their Commissioner of Police be appointed to be a Member of Legislative Council.

The only relevant precedents we and the Special Adviser on Colonial Affairs can find are Palestine in 1946 and Malaya in (about) 1953-4. Both were, however, emergency situations.

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