GRS 350
PRIORITY
EN CLAIR
FM HONG KONG Ø50300Z
UNCLASSIFIED
RECEIVED IN
REGISTER
7 JUN 1976
51
1~+KX013/5 \//
TO PRIORITY F C O TEL NO 568 OF 5 JUNE
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
FOR HKIOD FROM DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.
LAST
REF.
1(62)
THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE SCMP TO DAY (SATURDAY) UNDER THE HEADING 'ROBERTS ON LEGCO MISSION "1.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, SIR DENYS ROBERTS LEFT FOR LONDON LAST NIGHT FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH WHITEHALL ON WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS EXPANSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAID SIR DENYS, WHO WILL SPEND ABOUT ONE WEEK THERE, WILL HAVE TALKS 'ON MATTERS OF COMMON INTEREST?' WITH OFFICIALS OF THE HONG KONG AND INDIAN OCEAN DEPARTMENT OF
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
HOWEVER IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT SIR DENYS'S MAIN MISSION IS TO DISCUSS THE AMENDMENT OF THE LETTERS PATENT IN RELATION 10 THE EXPANSION
OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP.
THERE HAVE BEEN INDICATIONS THE EXPANSION IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE
BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.
IN.OCTOBER 1974 THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL
MEMBER DR S.Y. CHUNG, PROPOSED THAT THE NUMBER OF UNOFFICIALS SHOULD BE INCREASED TO LESSEN THE HEAVY WORK LOAD OF THE EXISTING
15 MEMBERS.
HE SUGGESTED THE NUMBER BE INCREASED TO 20, AND THAT THE NEW MEMBERS COME FROM DIFFERENT LEVELS IN SOCIETY, BUT
BE LEADERS IN THEIR PARTICULAR PROFESSION AND HAVE SUFFICIENT
EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC LIFE.
DR. CHUNG SAID LAST NIGHT HE STILL FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT THIS. REGARDING HIS PROPOSAL FOR FIVE NEW SEATS, DR. CHUNG NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FOUND FAULT WITH IT.
/ON THE
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