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HKK OIL/3 011/3
RÉCEYSO 'NJEGISTRY 12 JUN1984
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FUTURE EGRET
DESKBY 08090OZ
FM HONG KONG 080805Z JUN 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1551 OF 8 JUNE
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE EGRET
A
YOUR TELNO 1034: DRAFT GREEN PAPER
MY COMMENTS ON YOUR FOUR POINTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(1) THE FORMAL REMOVAL OF THE GOVERNOR'S POWERS TO REJECT EXCO'S ADVICE AND TO DECIDE ON WHAT QUESTIONS ARE SUBMITTED TO EXCO WOULD NOT HAPPEN UNTIL 1991. IT WOULD EVEN THEN ONLY FORMALISE THE PRESENT LONG ESTABLISHED PRACTICE. THIS IS EXPLAINED IN PARA 63. THUS THERE WOULD BE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE BEFORE 1992, ALTHOUGH HE WOULD BE OPERATING IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AS ELECTED MEMBERS TOOK THEIR PLACE ON THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ARE NOT INTENDED TO GO BEYOND 1992. THERE WILL NEED TO BE A MORE DETAILED EXPOSITION OF WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED AFTER THAT AT A LATER STAGE.
(11) IT IS ALREADY AGREED THAT WITH THE INTRODUCTUON OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, THE EXERCISE OF HMG'S RESERVE AND OVERRIDING POWERS SHOULD BE PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED, AND WE HAVE TOLD THE CHINESE THIS. IN CONSEQUENCE THE AIM WOULD BE THAT BY 1992 THESE POWERS WOULD NO LONGER BE EXERCISED IN PRACTICE, EXCEPT IN THE FIELDS OF DEFENCE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THIS MAY CAUSE SOME PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 1992 AND 1997, BUT THIS IS A SITUATION WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF MOVING TOWARDS A GREATER DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.
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