TNAG-0730-FCO40-934-Representations-by-Reform-Club-of-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 23

3

AKK Oyg 177

nia

政司辦 辦公

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INDEX

No

CR 2/1146/76

JA B Stewart Esq OBE

Hong Kong and General Department

FCO

LONDON SW1

Dear John.

HKKQCHIEF SECRETARY'S OFFICE

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

1973

HONG KONG

6 January 1978

&

2

We have other

correspondence that ties in with this.

5212/1

In Quyhill thes

и ты прым

ichaft reply per So. 13

See

Representations by the Reform Club of Hong Kong

Please refer to previous correspondence on the subject of representations by the Reform Club of Hong Kong about elections to the Urban Council and the Legislative Council.

2.

You will recall that you informed me, by your telegram No 356 of 11 May, that you had no objection to the terms of my proposed reply.

3.

So far as the Legislative Council is concerned, the reply merely stated that "The Government has no proposals for elections to the Legislative Council".

4.

{

The Reform Club, undaunted by this unpromising reply, commissioned a local private market research firm to carry out an investigation of "public opinion"

5.

•

The firm's interviewers took a sample of 990 members of the public, asking them to complete a question- naire on the subject. Of this number, 14% said they were strongly in favour" of elections to Legislative Council plus 36% more "in favour". From this sample, the survey concludes that 1.33 million adults favour such elections!

11

6.

I do not wish to enter a tedious wrangle about the validity of the survey though on the basis of such a small sample its conclusions are clearly arguable.

sample of 990, provided. it were property taken would give a perfectl valid ressalt.

-

7.

I would prefer, if you have no objection (since the Reform Club may become annoyed by my continuing negative reply and try to enlist the support of some MPs), merely to reply that the survey report has been considered but that the Government has no proposals for elections to the Legislative Council.

8.

this?

Would you let me know if you see any objection to

uns ever,

Jours

Say

Denys Roberts Roberts

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