CONFIDENTIAL
XKGUD
lA HKK 013/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY O. 51
AROCT 1978
DESK OFFICER
WDEX
PA
REGITRY Action Taken
(7
Flag A
2
Flag B
O
Flag C
346
Mr Murray
PS/Lord Goronwy-Robents
Tel 18
HONG KONG : GOVERNOR'S SPEECH TO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 11 OCTOBER
1. In his telegram number 1173 Sir Murray MacLehose explains that the main theme of his speech at the opening of LegCo this year will be the Government's plans as Hong Kong enters the 1980's. These plans were set out in his letter of 4 July to Mr McLaren; and as the Governor says, they are impressive and were generally welcomed. This will of course be Sir Murray's last LegCo opening, and it is appropiate that he should seek to range forward over a longer time- scale than the customary one year.
2. In his telegrams 1174-1176 and 1178, the Governor sets out the passages from his speech on the Police, the work of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the proposed social security scheme and Sino-British relations. It is disappointing to see that the Governor is not yet ready to commit himself to a social security scheme on the lines which we have been pressing him to adopt. The explanation of this in telegram number 1173 is not entirely reassur- ing, but we cannot really comment until we receive full details of
all the complications to which the Governor refers. In the meantime however the proposed passage for inclusion in Wednesday's speech, though less than we might have hoped for, sells no passes and is therefore acceptable.
3. The extracts on the Police, ICAC and Sino-British relations all seem exactly what is required.
4. The question inevitably arises of the value of our receiving these extracts at this late stage. The practice whereby the Governor gives us advance notice of his annual speech at the opening of LegCo appears to have arisen out of the Planning Paper exercise of two- We were then anxious to ensure that this annual
/statement
three years ago.
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.