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3. In our view, Hong Kong would greatly benefit from having the assistance of an acknowledged social security expert at an early stage. We believe he would have a useful contribution to make, similar to that provided by the British expert who is Chairman of the Inland Revenue Ordinance Committee (para 22 of the Planning Paper).
HOUSING, EDUCATION AND HEALTH (paras 27 and 28, Annex C paras 13-15, Annex D paras 6-15)
1. There is agreement with the Governor on these subjects and no points need to be made.
INSTITUTIONAL REFORM (paras 29-32, Annex C paras 16-22)
1. We are glad that the Governor has accepted the need to move more quickly towards widening the social basis of the Legislative Council. Are we right in believing that this is now accepted by the existing members of the Executive and Legislative Councils?
2. The Governor's proposals (see Appendix A attached) go a long way to meet our desire to see representation of wage earners on the Council; and we realise that, to secure this radical (in Hong Kong terms) change, some balance between old style and new style members is necessary among the new appointments.
3. We recognise the difficulties in Hong Kong terms of appointing a trade unionist to LegCo this time but it would be virtually impossible to defend a decision not to do so here. The Governor's suggestion that he might appoint the chairman of a public service union is a most useful one. This would do a great deal to persuade opinion here that the interests of wage earners are now to be represented in the Hong Kong Government.
[The Governor's proposals are explained and analysed in Appendix A attached.]
4.
The question of whether or not to return to the former constitutional position whereby the functions of the Legislative
and Executive Councils are separate and distinguishable, is a finely
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