TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 166

CONFIDENTIAL

C

COMMIT

BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

4. A preparatory committee to establish the Basic Law

Consultative Committee has been meeting in Hong Kong. It is headed by Mr Justice Simon Li and composed of himself

and five other Hong Kong members of the Basic Law Drafting

Committee.

On 20 August the preparatory

committee published a draft constitution for the

Consultative Committee which contains no surprises:

a)

b)

c)

there will be between 120 and 200 members made up of

"representative" people, "professional" people and

"foreigners who have resided for a long time in Hong

Kong and who are both representative and have

professional knowledge";

the Consultative Committee will be run. by an

executive committee of between 15 and 20;

the Consultative Committee will normally meet onca

every six months and the executive committee once

every three months;

d)

the Consultative Committee's

tasks will be to

to "study

in depth the views and suggestions on the contents of

the Basic Law and reflect them faithfully to the

Drafting Committee".

HONG KONG FORCE LEVELS

D

5. In early August OD(K) accepted the recommendations

EXCO, made in February, that the Kohima Barracks project –

be stopped and that the Hong Kong garrison be reduced.

from five to four battalions in 1987. EXCO be

informed of this decision on 3 September and it will be

carefully explained to

the Chiense and Nepalese

immediately thereafter. After allowing a week or two for

Chinese and Nepalese reactions, a low-key announcement

will be made in London and Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL