TNAG-1220-FCO40-1530-Democratic-representation-and-reform-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 116

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Our ref: TC 123/83

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CHIEF SECRETARY'S OFFICE..

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. HONG KONG

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INDEX6th August 1983

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Phinisties.

I refer to your teleletter HKK 013/3 of 3rd August 1983 on what has become the faintly stormy subject, of procedural changes in the Legislative Council.

2. As you surmise, these changes were the outcome of the Working Party referred to in the Governor's annual address on 6th October 1982: an extract of the relevant passage is at Annex A. I also referred to it in my speech in Legislative Council on 11th November 1982: an extract of the relevant paragraphs is at Annex B.

3.

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The Working Party, which was chaired by the Director, Councils and Administration Branch and whose members were the Law Draftsman, the Secretary-General, ́UMELCO Office, the Clerk of Councils and the Deputy Clerk of Councils, submitted its report to me as Chief Secretary in January this year: a copy is at Annex C.

4.

As you will see, the report's recommendations were aimed at improving the procedures followed in the Legislative Council and giving more overt recognition to the contribution made by Unofficial Members to the formulation of legislation and other Government business.

Several of these recommendations involved amendments to the Standing Orders of the Council, including one very minor one (and routine when seen in the context of the many similar revisions of classical language in recent years) "to substitute 'Hong Kong' for 'the Colony' wherever it occurs in the Standing Orders " (see paragraph 54(i) of the report).

5.

After receiving the report I sent it to the Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council, Roger Lobo, for his comments and those of his colleagues. They agreed generally with the recommendations, although they were somewhat concerned about the further heavy demands of their time which might result from the use of select committees.

6. The Governor approved the recommendations in May, except for those concerning select committees and subject to further consideration being given to the question of Finance Committee meeting in public. Subsequently, it was decided to amend Standing Orders to provide for public meetings of only those meetings of Finance Committee held for the purpose of examining the draft Estimates prior to the more formal proceedings of the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill.

R.D. Clift, Esq.,

Hong Kong Department,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London SW1

ENCLOSURES