could see some merit in the UDC assuming responsibilities in the field of housing, transport, film and book censorship to protect the young, and fire services. On the first,
Mr MacKenzie explained that the UDC were formerly responsible for housing and was now represented on the housing authority: but he could see a case for permitting all UDC members to take
part in its deliberations. He had some reservations about the field of transport which was a highly technical one and where the record of the private bus companies etc was very creditable. He
added that most members of the UDC would like to assume
censorship responsibilities, particularly because the liberal attitudes of the West on these matters caused deep affront to local Chinese opinion. He also could see no real objection to assumption of responsibility for the fire services where UDC members thought, with some reason, corruption was rife. Finally he thought there was some scope for the setting up of a police advisory council to bridge the gap between the Force and the population at large.
8. Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that he found discussion of these
issues very useful and interesting. As the delegation would recognise however, constitutionally these were matters primarily for consideration by the Governor.
CORRUPTION
9. Mrs Elliott expressed some scepticism about the work of ICAC.
She said there was a strong feeling among specially recruited
members of the Commission from Britain and Canada that the
Commission was insufficiently independent and that many cases were being swept under the carpet. She also observed that there were a suspiciously large number of cases put up by the ICAC and turned down by the Attorney-General's office for lack of evidence. Mr O'Keeffe replied that enquiries had been made into this allegation and it appeared that it had no foundation.
AS
at mid-February, only two such cases had been rejected by the Attorney-General as compared with 127 accepted by him.
In one
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