TNAG-0438-FCO40-503-Visits-of-UK-Members-of-Parliament--to-Hong-Kong-including-v-1974 — Page 100

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CONFIDENTIAL

RECEED IN

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

'D'IN'

REGISTRY No.51

10 MAY 1974

1-KK 3/518/2

n,

30

Ar Dinfunddy

PA BD 1015

CALL ON LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS BY MR JAMES JOHNSON MP AND MR BEN FORD MP:

1.

9 MAY

Mr James Johnson MP and Mr Ben Ford MP are to call on

Lord Goronwy-Roberts on Thursday 9 May, at 10.00 a.m. I shall

attend the call.

2.

Mr Johnson and Mr Ford visited Hong Kong during the Easter

recess as guests of the Hong Kong Government. With Lord Goronwy- Roberts's approval, they were given briefing material by the

Department.

3.

I have spoken to Mr Johnson since his return. He said

he was generally impressed with the Colony's progress and, in

particular, with the high standing of the Governor.

4.

Mr Johnson said that he would raise with Lord Goronwy- Roberts the idea of limited constitutional developments, and

particularly the possibility of some elected element in Legislative Council. His thought is that there might be a convention whereby one or two elected members of the Urban Council should be nominated

by the Governor to Legislative Council. There is already, in

practice, a precedent for this. Mr Hilton Cheong-leen is both an

elected member of the Urban Council and a nominated member of

Legislative Council. Mr Johnson's idea is that this would give

a direct channel between the people of Hong Kong and the legislature (and vice versa) but without provoking the Chinese Government with an appearance of movement towards self-government.

5.

Lord Goronwy-Roberts discussed this idea with the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong on 7 May. The latter conceded that the idea might be worth looking at. One problem is that although half the

/members

CONFIDENTIAL