TNAG-1365-FCO40-1811-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 131

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CONFIDENTIAL

DESK BY 1213COZ

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 1145Z JUN 85 CORRECTED VERSION

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1151 OF 12 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

FOR GALSWORTHY.

TOP COPY

HKK 011/12

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

13 JUN 1985

DESK OFFICA

MIPT: LEGCO (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL 1985.

SPRECH

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'

BEGINS.

PA

Cla

GISTRY

ction Taken

"'SIR

''I AM VERY CONSCIOUS AS I RISE TO MAKE MY FIRST SPEECH IN

THIS CHAMBER AS CHIEF SECRETARY OF THE DEEP CONCERN SHOWN OVER THIS

LEGISLATION BY LAWYERS, JOURNALISTS, PUBLIC SPIRITED GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND, IN RESPONSE TO THEIR ANXIETY, PERHAPS OF A WIDER CONCERN

WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE WAS SOME HIDDEN PURPOSE BEHIND THE

INTRODUCTION OF THIS LEGISLATION INTO THIS COUNCIL AT THE PRESENT

TIME. I HAVE NO NEED TO ASSURE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE, BUT LET ME SAY SO QUITE EMPHATICALLY TO THIS WIDER AUDIENCE WHICH IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS COUNCIL TODAY. THERE IS NO HIDDEN AGENDA. OF COURSE I COULD WISH, INDEED WE

ALL WISH THAT IT HAD HAD A HAPPIER AND SMOOTHER PASAGE THAN IT HAS.

BUT THE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION OF THE PAST WEEKS HAVE BEEN MOST VALU- ABLE AND WE HAVE RECEIVED A GREAT DEAL OF USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE

CRITICISM ARISING FROM THIS PUBLIC DEBATE, AND AS MEMBERS HAVE REVEALED IN THEIR SPEECHES TODAY, SUBSTANITAL AMENDMENTS AND

DELETIONS TO THE BILL ARE PROPOSED. BEFORE MAKING SOME DETAILED

POINTS LET ME FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE LEGISLA-

TION AND THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED,''

2.

**MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, SIR, REPRESENT A WIDE CROSS-SECTION

OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEIRS IS THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY TO

DECIDE ON THE DESIRABILITY OF PASSING LEGISLATION INTO LAW. THEIR

TASK IN PAST WEEKS HAS NOT BEEN EASY, THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH CRITICISM OF CERTAIN PASSAGES IN THE BILL BEFORE US THAT WE HAVE

BEEN IN DANGER OF LOSING SIGHT OF THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES LYING BEHIND THIS LEGISLATION. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT

THERE HAS NOT BEEN WELCOME SUPPORT FOR THESE PRINCIPLES FROM A

NUMBER OF QUARTERS. THE QUESTION BEFORE US TODAY IS TO DECIDE,

HAVING LISTENED TO CRITICISM AND ADVICE WHETHER WE ARE PREPARED TO

PROCEED WITH THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, DOING SO IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE STICK TO THE PRINCIPLES BUT MAKE SUFFICIENT, AND IN SOME CASES SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS AND DELETIONS TO TAKE ACCOUNT

OF THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED.''

CONFIDENTIAL

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