TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 268

GRS 450

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DESKBY 30133OZ

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HKCK

0113

RECEIVED VALLSTR

1 MAY 1934

FM HONG KONG 301245Z APR 84

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1161 OF 30 APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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124

M.1.P.T. FUTURE OF HONG KONG: LEGCO QUESTION: FOLLOWING IS PROPOSED ANSWER AND NOTE

DR HO OBVIOUSLY HAS IN MIND WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID IN HIS STATEMENT OPENING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN THIS CHAMBER ON 20TH APRIL LAST. HE SAID: ''DURING THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL BE DEVELOPED ON INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE LINES''

IN RESPONSE TO A SUBSEQUENT QUESTION HE SAID THAT ''STEPS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN IN THAT DIRECTION, (THAT) FURTHER PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION...... IS CLEARLY IN MIND.... (AND THAT IT) MAY TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS.....''

THE STEPS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN WERE OUTLINED IN THE STATEMENT I MADE TO THIS COUNCIL ON 15TH FEBRUARY WHEN I DESCRIBED CERTAIN PROPOSALS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SYSTEM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THESE PROPOSALS WERE THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED IN MARCH 1985 BY INCREASING THE NUMBER AND HENCE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTED MEMBERS: AND THAT ANOTHER REGIONAL LEVEL COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ELECTED AS WELL AS APPOINTED MEMBERS, SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN 1986 TO COVER THOSE AREAS NOT UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.

THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF, AND COMMENT UPON, THESE PROPOSALS. ALL THE VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED HAVE BEEN STUDIED CAREFULLY AND SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE PUT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR ITS CONSIDERATION AND ADVICE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. THEREAFTER, I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A FURTHER, DEFINITIVE, STATEMENT TO THIS COUNCIL ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTUAL INTENTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION AT THE DISTRICT AND REGIONAL LEVELS.

MEANWHILE, CONSIDERATION IS ALREADY BEING GIVEN TO FORMULATING PROPOSALS WHEREBY THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF OUR TWO MAIN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MIGHT BE DEVELOPED DURING THE COMING YEARS. MEMBERS MAY BE ASSURED THAT THE AIM OF THESE PROPOSALS WILL BE TO ESTABLISH ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE PROGRESSIVE, PROPERLY TIMED AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG.

I AM NOT YET ABLE TO ELABORATE ON WHAT PROPOSALS THE GOVERNMENT HAS IN MIND. BUT I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT, BEFORE THEY ARE PUBLISHED FOR PUBLIC CONSIDERATION AND COMMENT, A STATEMENT WILL BE MADE IN THIS COUNCIL AND THERE WILL BE, OF COURSE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PROPOSALS TO BE SUBSEQUENTLY DEBATED.

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