TNAG-1390-FCO40-1862-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 132

December and endorsed the

Government's

Prime Minister

accompanied by the

The

intention to sign it.

Secretary of State signed the

agreement in Peking on 19 December.

4. The Hong Kong Bill was

10 January.

introduced

into the House of Commons

on

The purpose of the Bill is to enable the UK to

implement the agreement. Paragraph 8 of the Joint Declaration

stipulates that instruments of ratification should be exchanged

before 30 June 1985.

The Hong Kong Bill provides for the

termination of British sovereignty and jurisdiction with effect from

1 July 1997. It accords diplomatic privileges and immunities to the

Chinese members of the Joint Liaison Group who will attend meetings

of the Group in London. The Bill also enables subsequent Orders in

Council to deal with changes in British nationality laws and to make

other necessary technical amendments to the British laws. The Bill

will have its second reading in the House of Commons on 2 January.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG

5.

..

The White Paper on the further development of representative

Government was published in Hong Kong on 21 November. This White

Paper took into account public comment expressed on the proposals

contained in a Green Paper published in July. During the two months

allowed for discuss

sion of these proposals, the Hong Kong Government

received comments from a wide range of sources.

These comments were

generally in favour of the aims of the Green Paper and the gradual and progressive nature of the proposals made in it. On the question

of direct and indirect elections, there was little evidence of

general support for any move towards direct

direct elections as early as

1985. Consequently the White Paper, which outlines the Government's

intentions for the 1985 elections to the Legislative Council only,

retains the Green Paper proposals

for indirect elections through an

electoral college and functional constituencies. The question of

direct elections will be looked at again in a review to be carried

out in 1987.