TNAG-1317-FCO40-1720-Future-of-Hong-Kong-meetings-of-the-Cabinet-Defence-and-Over-1984 — Page 93

GR 7000 SECRET

FUTURE EGRET

SECRET

нек

0113

2100

FM HONG KONG 21073OZ JUN 94-

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1669 OF 21 JUNE

:

༥

MIPT: FUTURE EGRET: CONSJTUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.

FOLLOWING IS GREEN PAPER

THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1

1. IN THE INTRODUCTION TO THE GREEN PAPER ENTITLED 'A PATTERN OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG'' WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE 1980, IT WAS STATED THAT THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, THE CENTRAL ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT, HAVE EVOLVED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE, WITHIN THE EMPERATIVES OF STABILITY AND DEPENDABILITY WHICH THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG DICTATE.'' THIS GREEN PAPER FOLLOWS FROM AND DEVELOPS ON THAT STATEMENT.

2. DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS, SEVERAL STEPS HAVE SEEN TAKEN TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AT THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVELS. IN 1973, THE URBAN COUNCIL WAS RECONSTITUTED AS A FINANCIALLY AUTONOMOUS BODY: THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS WITHDREW FROM THE COUNCIL AND ITS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP WAS INCREASED TO 24, HALF OF THEM DIRECTLY ELECTED ON A LIMITED FRANCHISE. 1982 SAW THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS TO DISTRICT BOARDS BASED ON A VERY BROAD FRANCHISE. IN 1983, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE URBAN COUNCIL WAS FURTHER INCREASED TO 30, HALF OF WHOM ARE NOW ELECTED FROM DISTRICT CONSTITUENCIES ON THE SAME BROAD FRANCHISE AS FOR DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

3. FOR MANY YEARS MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO SIT ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND RECENTLY SOME ELECTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THIS PROCESS. WILL CONTINUE.

4. IN HAY THIS YEAR PLANS WERE ANNOUNCED TO DEVELOP FURTHER THE REPRESENTATIVE STATUS OF THE DISTRICT 30ARDS BY DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS IN 1985, AND TO ESTABLISH IN 1986 A NEW REGIONAL

то COUNCIL, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL ELECTED ELEMENT IN ITS MEMBERSHIP, COVER THOSE AREAS OF THE TERRITORY NOT ALREADY COVERED BY THE URBAN

COUNCIL.

+

5. AT THE SAME TIME, RECOGNITION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROLE OF CONSULTATION IN THE ORDERING OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG, AND

PUBLIC EXPECTATION OF CONSULTATION IN RESPECT 30TH OF SPECIFIC

ISSUES AND THE GENERALITY OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

SECRET

IMAVE