TNAG-0579-FCO40-712-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 112

H.E. THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

6.10.76.

INTRODUCTION

New Membership of Legislative Council

First of all I should like to welcome to this Council the 8 new Unofficials

and 5 Officials. Their number is so great that their oaths of office were administered

at a separate meeting earlier today. I thought this enlargement necessary to ease the burden

on

members in discharging their steadily increasing responsibilities,

and I hope that having an expense allowance available and the services of an expanded UMELCO Secretariat will also assist them in their duties. The opportunity offered by expansion has been taken to achieve a membership reflecting a wider direct association with all sections of our

society

as the senior member suggested two years ago.

It is the tradition of this Council that each member speaks for no particular group or section but in the interest of all Hong Kong as it appears in his or her personal judgement. This is a good tradition, but only if it is balanced, as is now more the case, by membership drawn from a wide range of professional expertise, public service, and personal background. It is important that significant differences between members or between them and the Government on matters of policy should be brought out in

public at this Council, so I hope for lively debate.

The role of UMELCO

In being appointed to this Council Unofficials become part of the body of Unofficial Members of Executive and Legislative Council. In this unelected government

the functions of UMELCO outside the formal work of the two Councils are vital. It is your Government's aim to make the departments of official government as accessible and responsive to the public as possible. But this process can be greatly assited by