TNAG-0570-FCO40-703-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 127

3 SECRET

not create any new impulse for reform.

Such

persons were likely to be more conservative

and resistant to taxation than the present

membership.

d) We had to keep firmly in mind the objective

of getting as much done as possible before the

critical period of the early '80s. The

best instrument for doing this would be a

Leg. Co. small enough to be susceptible to

persuasion by H.E. and C.S. but which still

looked sufficiently all right to the population

to obtain consent. Educated, progressive

young executive types were the best candidates

for this purpose. Though grassroots membership

desirable

was/in itself and had cosmetic value in the

U.K., and would be provided, it must not be

allowed to get out of hand or frustrate necessary

progress.

Institutional change was in no

3.

sense the key to the situation as stated in the

paper.

Furthermore Peking should not be

given any excuse for believing there was

likely to be any radical change in an order

which they had proved themselves willing to

live with.

programmes.

H.E. then outlined the major social

He was satisfied that the maximum

possible was being done on education, housing and